If you’ve ever wondered how chefs manage to work around food all day and maintain a healthy weight, you’ll want to tune into the new Food Network series The Fat Chef, which premieres on Thursday, January 26 at 10pm ET/PT. Though the media portrays images of slim chefs like Giada De Laurentiis and Sandra Lee, there are many who do not fit this stereotype but play a huge role in determining how and what people eat.
The six episode series will offer viewers a behind-the-scenes look the struggles chefs face when their love for food affects their health. Twelve overweight culinary professionals from Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio will be featured over the course of their four-month venture to overcome weight issues with the help of therapists, nutritionists, and personal trainers.
Each episode will showcase two chefs working with their health consultants, including nutritionist and author Christine Avant, fitness guru Robert Brace, and former Biggest Loser trainer Brett Hoebel as they work to overcome their abusive relationships with food.
With approximately two-thirds of American adults and more than one-quarter of American children overweight or obese, it will be important for this show to teach chefs and viewers how to balance a healthy lifestyle and a love for food.
One chef is already “walking the walk.” Masaharu Morimoto, who lost forty pounds while working as a professional chef, credits his portion control, daily sessions on the treadmill, avoiding alcohol, and cooking at home for his weight loss and maintenance.