One Big Happy Family
Encyclopedia
One Big Happy Family is an American reality television series featuring the Coles family, an African-American family of four who reside in Indian Trail, North Carolina
. The series premiered on TLC
on December 29, 2009. The show deals with their family life and with their efforts to lose weight (each family member, at the initial episode, weighed in excess of 330 pounds).
This six-part series profiles the Coles, a close-knit family of four dealing with life as a morbidly obese household. Weighing in at a collective 1,400 pounds, each half-hour episode follows the family on their journey of self-improvement -- chronicling everything from their everyday struggles to the larger picture of why they overeat -- as they attempt to lose weight to ultimately save their family from dire health complications.
Obesity rates are at an all time high in America, and the Coles are part of the growing epidemic. The same rituals that have strengthened their family bond -- such as cheerful family gatherings around the kitchen table and hilarious "truth nights" over cheesecake -- have enabled the bad behaviors responsible for their size. With Mom, Dad, daughter and son each weighing in at well over 300 lbs., the Coles are reminded daily that they literally do not fit in, as everyday situations such as buckling a seatbelt and sitting in a restaurant booth are challenging. But, as big as they are, their love for each other is even bigger -- and when one of the family members is diagnosed with a life threatening health issue, the family unites to change their lifestyle for good.
With a healthy dose of humor and love, ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY spotlights the Coles as they pull together as a family to tackle the patterns that are keeping them overweight. Without the help of a nutritionist or personal trainer, the family has only each other to rely on to drop the pounds. It's a long and emotional process full of trial and error and late night "cheats," but through it all, they have each other. No matter what obstacles they encounter or how embarrassing a situation may be, the Coles continue to motivate one another and are determined to accomplish their goal of attaining a healthier lifestyle as a family.
The Coles appear candid about their thoughts on their weight – which ranged from 300 to 400 pounds among the mother, father and two children – sincere about their desire to create a healthier lifestyle and disappointing though relatable when they falter, whether through funnel cakes or sugary frozen drinks.
Still the show has kicked up a storm of controversy and criticism from some watchers who say TLC is exploiting the family.
The cameras follow the family dealing with weight and health on their own – without help from trainers or nutritionists, which critics say separate it from other weight transformation shows like “The Biggest Loser.”
Twenty-nine percent of North Carolina residents are obese, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics, many of whom also don’t have personal trainers pushing them through day-long workouts a la Jillian Michaels.
More than 35 percent of the state’s black residents, like the Coles, are obese, which has a greater prevalence in the South and Midwest.
Obesity is a significant challenge nationally and one that has grown sharply in the past couple of decades.
The network has picked up 12 episodes of the show from RDF USA, double the first-season order.
"Obesity is an epidemic in America, so it's no surprise that viewers fell in love with the Coles family as they began their weight loss journey," said Mike Duffy, senior vp at RDF USA. "With four different perspectives, every viewer has someone they can relate to but, ultimately I think people root for them because they're refreshingly sweet, funny and honest."
The series, a docu-drama about an obese family of four that weigh a collective 1,400 pounds, premiered in December. Its second season is expected to debut in June.
Indian Trail, North Carolina
Indian Trail is a town in Union County, North Carolina, United States. Founded on March 12, 1861, the town holds a history of traders traveling along the "Indian Trail," which ran from Petersburg, Virginia, to the Waxhaw Indians, and gold mining. Indian Trail was first a farming community; however,...
. The series premiered on TLC
TLC (TV channel)
TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
on December 29, 2009. The show deals with their family life and with their efforts to lose weight (each family member, at the initial episode, weighed in excess of 330 pounds).
Coles family
The numbers in parentheses are the age and weight of each family member when the first episode aired.- Tameka Coles - (36, 380) Mother of Amber and Shayne and wife of Norris. She works two jobs that leave her little time to get any exercise. She tells the viewers that she began to gain weight after giving birth to Amber and Shayne.
- Norris Coles - (41, 340) Father of Amber and Shayne and husband of Tameka. He is mainly a stay-at-home parent, though he buys and sells garage sales items for profit.
- Amber Coles - (17, 348) Amber is the older of the two children. She is a member of the flag corps at her high school.
- Shayne Coles - (14, 336) Shayne is the younger of the two children. He is introverted and has few friends in school.
About One Big Happy Family
Meet the Coles, a close-knit family of four dealing with life as a morbidly obese household. Weighing in at a collective 1,400 pounds, each episode follows the family on their journey of self-improvement -- chronicling everything from their everyday struggles to the larger picture of why they overeat -- as they attempt to lose weight to ultimately save their family from dire health complications.This six-part series profiles the Coles, a close-knit family of four dealing with life as a morbidly obese household. Weighing in at a collective 1,400 pounds, each half-hour episode follows the family on their journey of self-improvement -- chronicling everything from their everyday struggles to the larger picture of why they overeat -- as they attempt to lose weight to ultimately save their family from dire health complications.
Obesity rates are at an all time high in America, and the Coles are part of the growing epidemic. The same rituals that have strengthened their family bond -- such as cheerful family gatherings around the kitchen table and hilarious "truth nights" over cheesecake -- have enabled the bad behaviors responsible for their size. With Mom, Dad, daughter and son each weighing in at well over 300 lbs., the Coles are reminded daily that they literally do not fit in, as everyday situations such as buckling a seatbelt and sitting in a restaurant booth are challenging. But, as big as they are, their love for each other is even bigger -- and when one of the family members is diagnosed with a life threatening health issue, the family unites to change their lifestyle for good.
With a healthy dose of humor and love, ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY spotlights the Coles as they pull together as a family to tackle the patterns that are keeping them overweight. Without the help of a nutritionist or personal trainer, the family has only each other to rely on to drop the pounds. It's a long and emotional process full of trial and error and late night "cheats," but through it all, they have each other. No matter what obstacles they encounter or how embarrassing a situation may be, the Coles continue to motivate one another and are determined to accomplish their goal of attaining a healthier lifestyle as a family.
The Coles appear candid about their thoughts on their weight – which ranged from 300 to 400 pounds among the mother, father and two children – sincere about their desire to create a healthier lifestyle and disappointing though relatable when they falter, whether through funnel cakes or sugary frozen drinks.
Still the show has kicked up a storm of controversy and criticism from some watchers who say TLC is exploiting the family.
The cameras follow the family dealing with weight and health on their own – without help from trainers or nutritionists, which critics say separate it from other weight transformation shows like “The Biggest Loser.”
Twenty-nine percent of North Carolina residents are obese, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics, many of whom also don’t have personal trainers pushing them through day-long workouts a la Jillian Michaels.
More than 35 percent of the state’s black residents, like the Coles, are obese, which has a greater prevalence in the South and Midwest.
Obesity is a significant challenge nationally and one that has grown sharply in the past couple of decades.
Renewed
TLC has renewed its reality show "One Big Happy Family" for a super-sized second round.The network has picked up 12 episodes of the show from RDF USA, double the first-season order.
"Obesity is an epidemic in America, so it's no surprise that viewers fell in love with the Coles family as they began their weight loss journey," said Mike Duffy, senior vp at RDF USA. "With four different perspectives, every viewer has someone they can relate to but, ultimately I think people root for them because they're refreshingly sweet, funny and honest."
The series, a docu-drama about an obese family of four that weigh a collective 1,400 pounds, premiered in December. Its second season is expected to debut in June.
Series Overview
| Season | Episodes | Season Premiere | Season Finale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | |||
| 2 | 11 | |||
Season 1
| Ep # | Total | Title | Airdate |
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Season 2
| Ep # | Total | Title | Airdate |
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