Dad Tells Daughter She Needs "Fit Image" On MTV

Makenzie is an attractive and outgoing high school senior with low self-esteem. After getting a glimpse into her life on I Used To Be Fat, you start to sense why.

Makenzie’s dad, Jim, is critical of her weight…and oddly fixated on her getting married, although she’s only 18.

The sad thing is, you do get the sense that Jim really loves her, and is just completely clueless. When Makenzie’s brothers try to explain that she shouldn’t be losing weight for the wrong reasons, you can see that it just Does. Not. Compute.

Ultimately, Jim does tell Makenzie he’s proud of her, and while it seems like that’s at least partially because she’s now “a beautiful young woman” who’s lost some weight, his approval clearly means a lot to her. Also, it’s clear we weren’t the only ones weirded out by her father’s excessive concern: so many people wrote negative comments that Jim himself took to the boards to defend himself; it’s good he got a sense of how his behavior came off, because honestly, he seemed to have no idea. Most heartening, however, was Makenzie’s “update,” in which it’s clear she’s not worrying about getting a guy or pleasing anyone but herself.