In today’s world where fast-food restaurants, soda, and
processed foods reign supreme, does “fat dad” have to mean
“fat kid”? Digital entrepreneur and beloved vlogger Shay
Butler and his preteen son, Gavin, decided to find out the
answer for themselves.
Before Shay became famous for
vlogging about life with his boisterous brood of five, known
on YouTube as the Shaytards, he was like many other American
dads: He worked 9 to 5 to pay the bills, ate double bacon
cheeseburgers during his lunch breaks, sipped soda
throughout the day, and watched Netflix with handfuls of
candy.
These small behaviors added up, and before
he turned thirty, Shay was nearly 300 pounds. Motivated by
the fear that he could have a heart attack before
thirty-five, Shay decided to make incremental changes to his
eating habits and exercise regimen. Adopting the attitude
that every action, no matter how small, was better than what
he was doing before, Shay lost more than 100 pounds and ran
four marathons, becoming a source of inspiration for
everyone who followed his journey on his ShayLoss channel on
YouTube.
Now, at the age of thirty-five, Shay has
discovered that “maintaining” is the hard part. He has also
seen how some of his hard-to-break habits are affecting his
children, particularly his eldest son, Gavin, who grew up
during the years when his dad had “a little extra Shay on
him.” Determined to get back into shape and inspire his son
along the way, Shay asked Gavin to embark on a thirty-day
challenge with him to eat clean and do thirty minutes of
exercise a day. Full of Shay’s signature blend of humor,
honesty, and unbridled enthusiasm, Fat Dad, Fat Kid
chronicles the ups and downs of Shay and Gavin’s thirty days
together, reflects on Shay’s lifelong struggle with health
and fitness, and proves that it’s never too late for parents
or children to embrace a healthier lifestyle—even when it
doesn’t come easy.