I must confess that until this week’s episode, I have only seen Ruby sporadically, and usually only parts of each episode that I stumbled upon. My first impression was that she was so sweet. She has the stereotypical Southern charm, and such a sweet disposition that you can’t help root for her.
Ruby’s show is a 180 from The Biggest Loser, in that it doesn’t share the same combative nature or personalities that are antagonistic. It’s not a competition, rather a sort of open diary as you watch Ruby go through daily struggles and triumphs.
The early drama in season three of Ruby is her struggle with repressed childhood memories – her entire first 13 years. This episode, she and her friends took a road trip to her childhood home in Mississippi. The interesting twist is that she is facing her demons in more ways than one. Not only is she investigating her mysterious childhood, but Mississippi is also the heaviest state in the country, and in Ruby’s case, filled with dietary landmines.
“Happiness is eating,” says Ruby about her fellow Southerners’ view of life. And that’s the challenge she faced in her travels. She faced enablers and other obese people, one after another. The owner of an all-you-can-eat buffet said that her restaurant has healthy food… and you don’t know whether she believed it, was purposely deceptive, or just being coy. Another lady espoused the healthy antioxidants in chocolate while dangling a milk chocolate dessert of some sort under Ruby’s nose.
Then there was a friend of a friend who was 500 pounds. And it’s nothing short of jaw-dropping when you hear the level of denial he is in. He starts his conversation with Ruby saying that he doesn’t eat too much food, just the wrong food. Then he proceeds to say that on any given day he eats 6-7 eggs and a pack of bacon… for breakfast.
The show culminated with Ruby hiring a private investigator to search for the mysterious Dr. Duke, someone she trusted as a child. Her PI turned up well over 200 potential candidates. Whether or not the doctor holds any clues to Ruby’s mysterious childhood, we’ll have to wait for future episodes.
Learn more about Ruby here on DietsInReview.com, including more about her OurLife Health diet and videos from previous seasons.