Renee Zellweger

This installment of Angry Issues is really a survey of sorts, to see how all of you feel about gaining weight for cold hard cash.

Think about it – celebrities routinely gain weight and drastically alter their appearance for movie roles, although to be fair, they’re usually getting paid millions in exchange for changing their physical appearance!

But what’s your price? And do you have one? Would you be willing to gain 50 LBS of fat for $10,000? 10 grand would go a long way these days. No? How about 25K paid out in all hundreds. Surely that must be worth a 50-pound weight gain. No? Really? Ok, what about 50 large? That’s a thousand dollars for every pound or weight you gain. Would you take the money then? Be honest everyone…

Now I’ll be honest – I wouldn’t take the money, not even for 100 thousand dollars. I know some of you think I’m full of it, but trust me, I wouldn’t. And it’s not because I don’t need or can’t find a way to put the money to good use – of course I could! But I know for me, a gain of 50 pounds would probably take a year of living a terrible lifestyle for me to achieve. I can’t imagine how unhealthy I’d feel, and can only guess that I’d have associated medical costs. Plus, once I reached my “goal”, the road back would be truly torturous. I may have 100 grand in my pocket, but I wouldn’t be able to look at myself in the mirror. I mean honestly, I feel sick when I gain 5 pounds! I’d be a total mess.

burger and fries

For me, the negative effects of a 50-pound weight gain, both mental and physical, would far outweigh (pun intended) any financial incentive. But if we were talking life-changing money, as in millions, then maybe I’d have a different point of view. Then I could just tell myself I’d be doing it for my family’s future. So I guess I do have a price. But no matter what the amount would be, I’d still struggle. I know some people may say “just gain the weight, take the money, and lose it” – but it’s not that simple…

Even if you lost the weight – a big ‘if’ – I’m not sure that the effects of such a rapid weight gain would disappear altogether. I know that our bodies can grow new fat cells when we gain weight, and even though they shrink in size, the higher the number of total cells you have, the more likely you are to have associated obesity type illnesses. Even if you’re now normal weight!

So is the risk worth it? I don’t think so. I know my energy would suffer being heavier, making me less productive in work. My family life would suffer, my personality would surely change, and I don’t think I’d be fun to be around. I’d probably be lacking certain nutrients and possibly more susceptible to infections and viruses. Although on the plus side, I’d certainly save on my gym membership and protein shakes!

But what do you think? Would you gain 50lbs for cold hard cash? And if so – what’s your price… I’d love to hear your comments…