Teenager Amber was seriously overweight (204 kilos), but miracles do exist

You are overweight and you are overweight. TV program Quarter Ton Teen shows teenagers who have (or had) to deal with a very serious 'kilo problem'. But above all: how they took up the fight after many failures and regular giving up.

When you think of overweight children, you might immediately think of America. That is also the case in Quarter Ton Teen , but in the Netherlands, overweight is just as much of a problem (see box). The subject is interesting in the current era. That is why Metro already focused its attention on the laptop television for the Blik op de Buis section for the first episode of Quarter Ton Teen (available on HBO Max from tomorrow).

Is this obesity? Not among the teens in America who are followed by cameras, if we are to believe the experts. Metro wrote this year: obesity is seen as a chronic disease . In this case, the kids could at least do something about their excess weight. As difficult as that is, when you hear a girl in Quarter Ton Teen : "I'm so sick of being like this and I feel lonely. I've tried everything, but nothing helps."

This also applies to Amber (16) in the first episode (note: with an hour and a half the length of a feature film, that is a bit too long). Her excess weight can easily be called enormous. The girl from Hillsboro (Orégon) weighs 204 kilos. Her mother, who like other family members also struggles with excess weight, has to pull Amber up from the couch. She cannot walk far, always has back pain and Amber and her mother visit the supermarket by mobility scooter.

Amber's obesity has one clear reason: food, lots of food. It has always been a form of comfort for her during a difficult childhood. There was no father in the picture and at a young age she was responsible for taking care of her little brother. Her 'overweight mom' was also not a good example, she liked to eat just as much. "For me, being overweight is the worst thing in the world," says Amber. Bullying comes into play immediately when children are very overweight.

This is also the case with the young American. “I am only judged. When others see me… they see a monster.” Her mother sighs: “If only Amber had normal teenage struggles. But she can’t do anything and she can’t participate in anything.” No, for this girl, life is a struggle . What clothes should she buy if she wants to shop online?, is just one example. It is time for action, no matter how difficult. “I really want to do something about my excess weight,” says Amber, “but I can’t do it alone.” The viewer hears her say it when she once again turns out to be a great customer for some fast food chain. While eating: “I am desperate.”

The start of a solution is called Dr. Wilson in Houston, a specialist 3600 kilometers away. Amber goes for it, and how. The teenagers in Quarter Ton Teen are all ambitious if they dare to take the step. The series needs that too, because watching a child do nothing for an hour and a half means of course zapping away. We won't elaborate too much, but a miracle happens in Amber. A miracle that she has to fight for herself, however.

The viewer follows her for another year or two and when it comes to the excess weight: at one point there is only – if you can call it that – half of Amber left. A little sneak peek: you see her dancing, in a climbing gym, working out with a personal trainer and she walks through the supermarket instead of driving her mobility scooter along the shelves. At one point Amber has lost about 100 (!) kilos. The personal trainer thinks back to the time he met the teenager and had her do a few jumps in a dirty garage while she – as best as she could – waved her arms. “I am proud of her.” And oh yes, Amber now has a boyfriend (and a big smile on her face).

Quarter Ton Teen is available to watch starting tomorrow (Monday, July 7) on HBO Max .

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