'Welcome To The World Of Weight Loss,' Vanessa Engle's Documentary, Explores Women's Fascination With Becoming Thin

What exactly happens in weight loss clubs?

That's the question British documentarian Vanessa Engle tackles in her new film, "Welcome To The World Of Weight Loss." The documentary follows members of three "slimming clubs" -- organizations like Weight Watchers, where groups of individuals follow a certain diet and fitness program -- over a three-month period, delving into their relationships with food and their motivations behind losing weight.

Participants in the documentary include two sisters who have lost almost 200lbs between them, a mother and daughter, and a divorced man who has moved back in with his parents.

Engle was drawn to the subject after finishing her last documentary, which focused on money. She told The Guardian:

If you feel you're out of control in relation to money, that's very frightening. And if you feel out of control in relation to food, that's just as frightening. It's an emotional thing. I know I can put on a pound and feel out of control -- and I don't think that's unusual. It's a form of tyranny that so many people, especially women, live under. I was interested in the fact that you can be reading about Syria or Egypt, and at the same time there are these trivial but revealing thoughts in your head like, "I shouldn't have had that for breakfast."

"Welcome To The World Of Weight Loss" airs on BBC2 next week -- we hope it crosses the pond soon.