MTV FOLLOWS OVERWEIGHT TEENS AS THEY TRANSFORM THEIR LIVES IN "I USED TO BE FAT" PREMIERING DECEMBER 29TH AT 10PM ET/PT
Docu-Series Chronicles One Summer that Changes the Lives of High School Seniors as They Prepare to Embark on a New Life in College
NEW YORK, NY (December 9, 2010) - MTV takes viewers on a journey following overweight teens as they share their personal struggles and triumphs in "I Used to be Fat," premiering December 29th at 10pm ET/PT. Throughout the series, cameras will capture each individual from the last weeks of high school through the first days of college - a pivotal time for most teens - as they attempt to lose large amounts of weight, ranging from 40 to 100 pounds, and prepare for a fresh start. The series will also air internationally on MTV channels around the world starting in March 2011.
Each one-hour episode will focus on a different teenager yearning to make a drastic lifestyle change. From 306-pound Dominick, a sweet and funny guy with an Italian mom who thinks food is love and whose weight has affected his self confidence causing him to withdraw from high school life; to Marci, who is home schooled due to the torment she faced in elementary school around her weight, and assuages her loneliness with fast food; to Jordan, who has channeled his anger toward his toward his alcohol addicted mom into a food addiction and is desperate for a positive role model - viewers will get an intimate look inside each individual's life. With the help of dedicated personal trainers, each of these young people will try to shed the weight they feel is keeping them from being who they truly are, building self-confidence and self-esteem at the same time. Some will lose the weight and others might not, but all of them will face the emotional obstacles that are holding them back as they work to embrace change.
MTV Networks is also partnering with global innovation firm frog design to launch "Tempt'd" a new application to help people resist everyday temptations. Tempt'd brings together a community of support accessible through both facebook and iPhone. The series integration with Tempt'd will center specifically around food temptations. Viewers can use the app to reach out for support when they are being tempted by food -- and receive feedback from other Tempt'd users to help them overcome cravings.
Additionally, MTV.com will check in with each student after their show airs, to catch up with them via video diary. They will also provide users with exercise and eating tips from the trainers featured in the series, to help guide healthy living habits.
"I Used to be Fat" is from MTV News & Documentaries which continues to produce inspiring and in-depth programming that is relevant to young people today. With series ranging from the intimate first-person storytelling of "True Life" and the behind-the-scenes intensity of the recent Niki Minaj documentary, "My Time Now," to specials dedicated to health, justice, education, and war, this Emmy and Peabody award winning department continues to delve into stories that shine a spotlight on the world of our audience.
The show is created by 3 Ball Productions, with JD Roth, Todd A. Nelson and Adam Greener serving as Executive Producers. Dave Sirulnick and Amy Bailey are Executive Producers for MTV. The theme song for the series "This Is The New Year" is performed by Ian Axel, Courtesy of tinyOGRE Entertainment.
About MTV
MTV is the world's premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its Emmy�, Grammy� and Peabody� award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile. MTV's sibling networks MTV2 and mtvU each deliver unparalleled customized content for young males, music fans and college students, and its online hub MTV.com is the leading destination for music, news and pop culture. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.
About 3 Ball Productions/Eyeworks USA
3 Ball Productions/Eyeworks USA is one television's most prolific producers of reality and non-fiction programming, both for broadcast and cable, including NBC's hit franchise The Biggest Loser, premiering its 11th season in January 2011, and Beauty and Geek, which airs in multiple markets worldwide. In addition to I Used to be Fat for MTV, 3 Ball and Executive Producers JD Roth and Todd A. Nelson are also currently producing Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition for ABC (to air in 2011), MasterChef for FOX, What's Eating You for E!, Flying Wild Alaska for Discovery, Forever Young for TV Land, OCD and Dad Camp for VH1, Hair Battle Spectacular for Oxygen, and Friday Night Feud for Discovery.
About frog design, inc.
frog design is a global innovation firm and works with the world's leading companies, helping them to create and bring to market meaningful products, services, and experiences. With a team of more than 500 designers, technologists, strategists, and analysts, frog delivers fully convergent experiences that span multiple technologies, platforms, and media. frog works across a broad spectrum of industries, including consumer electronics, telecommunications, healthcare, energy, automotive, media, entertainment, education, finance, retail, and fashion. Clients include Disney, GE, HP, Intel, Microsoft, MTV, Qualcomm, Siemens, and many other Fortune 500 brands. Founded in 1969, frog is headquartered in San Francisco, with studios in Amsterdam, Austin, Milan, Munich, New York, Seattle, and Shanghai. frog is a Global Growth Company member of the World Economic Forum.
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