Big girls dating fit guys

A new reality show chronicles the lives of men who are in love with morbidly obese women as they face public scrutiny and skepticism from their friends and family over their 'mixed-weight' relationships. 

Premiering on January 7, the upcoming TLC series Hot & Heavy follows three couples — Joy and Chris, Kristin and Rusty, and Adrianna and Ricardo — as they struggle to defend their romances in three one-hour episodes. 

'Adrianna is the hottest woman I've ever seen in my life,' Ricardo says in a trailer for the show. 'We're just two people that are different sizes, and I don't feel like there should be a stigma behind it.' 

Candid look: The new TLC reality series Hot & Heavy chronicles the lives of three 'mixed-weight' couples as they navigate public scrutiny and skepticism from their family and friends 

Look of love: In a new trailer for the upcoming series, Ricardo insists his partner Adrianna is the 'hottest woman' he's ever seen

While he makes it clear that he has no problem with his ladylove weighing more than 400 pounds, she admits that she has struggled with feeling unworthy. 

'I always had this idea that I didn't deserve love because of what I looked like,' she explains in the clip. 

It doesn't help that is often subjected to cruel jabs about her weight when she and Ricardo are out in public. 

In one scene, she bursts into tears after a man drives by and screams: 'Lay off the ice cream, ya cow! Moooooo!'

Another shows her confronting a high school bully who was the first person to point out her weight in front of people.   

Confession: 'I always had this idea that I didn't deserve love because of what I looked like,' says Adrianna, who weighs more than 400 pounds 

Horrific: Adrianna often faces public scrutiny for her weight, and in the clip, she bursts into tears after someone drives by and calls her a 'cow' 

'I'm not a violent person, but if I have to protect her, I will with pleasure,' Ricardo says of the showdown.

Meanwhile, Chris and Joy have been dating for three years, but his friends and family don't seem to approve — which only confirms his partner's worst fears.   

'My mom told me that it would be difficult to find love if I was heavy,' she admits, noting that 'conventionally attractive women' are those who seem to be the 'most offended' by their relationship.  

'I love every inch of Joy. There are a lot of inches to love,' Chris says with a laugh. 

Although he is determined to stand by her side, dealing with the naysayers who doubt their future together seems to be weighing on him.  

Happy: Chris and Joy have been dating for three years, and he wants to marry her 

Perfect pair: 'I love every inch of Joy. There are a lot of inches to love,' he says with a laugh 

Backlash: Joy says 'conventionally attractive women' are those who seem to be the 'most offended' by their relationship

At one point in the trailer, he is asked if their relationship is a 'sexual thing,' while someone else he is close to is trying to persuade him to find a partner who is more 'conventionally attractive.'

It's unclear if the man is Chris' brother or just friend, but he is adamantly against him settling down with the love of his life.  

'He could get any girl that he wants, but he ends up being with Joy,' he gripes in his testimonial, and he isn't the only one who isn't on board. 

When Chris tells his family that he plans on proposing to Joy, a woman who appears to be his mother asks: 'What about her weight issue?'

'I knew it was going to be us versus the world, and it's very difficult,' he admits in his testimonial, and the backlash over their relationship is weighing on Joy as well.  

Drama: Chris' family is against him marrying Joy because they are worried her weight will hold him back 

Unsupportive: Chris admits someone close to him has been pushing him to find a partner who is more 'conventionally attractive'

More to love: Meanwhile, Rusty loves that his wife Kristin weighs 329 pounds

'Because of my size, sometimes I wonder if love is enough,' she says. 

Kristin and Rusty have been married for two years and they couldn't be more attracted to each other despite their size difference. 

'I think every girl hopes they're going to get a hunky husband, so I totally hit the jackpot,' she says.  

'I absolutely love Kristin's size,' he gushes of his 329-pound wife. 'I wouldn't mind if she was a little bigger.' 

She assumes that people see them and wonder, 'How did that big girl get that hunky guy?' but she doesn't seem to mind.  

Grateful: Kristin and Rusty have been married for two years, and she insists she has 'totally hit the jackpot' with her 'hunky husband' 

Issues: Rusty says he wouldn't mind if Kristin was 'a little bigger, but she is considering gastric bypass surgery to lose weight so they can start a family

Argument: At one point in the clip, Kristin throws a bowl of chips and accuses Rusty of wanting to keep her fat 

'Maybe I just have a golden vagina,' she jokes. 

However, the two want to start a family, and issues arise when Kristin considers getting gastric bypass in order to have a baby — something Rusty is firmly against. 

'I'm not down with surgeries and all that crap,' he says in the clip.

In one scene, Kristin can be seen throwing a bowl of chips over her shoulders while arguing with her husband.

'You just want to keep me fat,' she says. 

While the trailer promises plenty of drama, not everyone is thrilled about the show. 

When TLC posted the preview clip on Twitter on Tuesday, the reactions were mixed, with many people accusing the network of glorifying obesity.  

Backlash: When TLC posted the preview clip on Twitter on Tuesday, the reactions were mixed, with many people accusing the network of glorifying obesity. Others were excited to tune in

'I get that obese people need love too but celebrating morbid obesity is just wrong, it's not something to aspire to,' one person commented. 'Definitely avoiding this show.' 

'Loving someone for who they are is wonderful and amazing, and we should all do it,' someone else tweeted. 'Enabling something life threatening is another story. These women have real medical issues and need to try and lose weight, not be skinny, but lose weight.'

Another asked: 'What's with TLC and morbidly obese people? I can understand my 600 lb life because they actually want help but morbid obesity not to be celebrated.'

Others, however, said they liked the premise of the show and plan on tuning in when it premieres next month.  

'I want to watch this. I'm glad these men feel that way about the love of their lives. It don't matter what people think or say if they are in love and happy that's all that matters,' one Twitter user wrote.  

'We’re all attracted to different people!' another person pointed out. 'I’m gonna LOVE this show!'

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