Andrea Barber And Jodie Sweetin Unpack Infamous ‘Full House’ Diet Episode

Full House was a feel-good family sitcom that followed the lives of the Tanner family while teaching important life lessons, however, not every episode aged well. One in particular, tackled body image and diet culture in a way that feels unsettling nearly four decades later.

Weight loss culture in the 1980s and ’90s was intense, and no one understood that pressure better than DJ Tanner in Season 4’s “Shape Up.” 35 years later, Andrea Barber and Jodie Sweetin are looking back on the episode and sharing their honest thoughts.

Andrea Barber and Jodie Sweetin recall feeling uncomfortable with the ‘Full House’ diet episode

Barber and Sweetin recently discussed the episode on their Full House rewatch podcast, How Rude, Tanneritos! Both admitted they felt uneasy watching it again, especially knowing how much pressure the plot placed on their co-star Candace Cameron Bure, who played DJ.

They explained that the show’s creator had checked with Bure’s parents before filming, but that did not change the fact that a teenage actress had to play such an intense role. While they understood the episode aimed to highlight real struggles with self-image, the show’s creator could have portrayed the message better.

What was the ‘Full House’ diet episode about?

“Shape Up” saw DJ Tanner become fixated on losing weight after Kimmy invited her to a big pool party. She stops eating properly, overworks herself at the gym, and keeps her behavior a secret from her family. Her obsession with fitting into a smaller size led to underfeeding and, consequently, exhaustion and emotional distress.

Eventually, her loved ones noticed something was wrong, after which the episode took a dramatic turn as DJ faced the reality of her actions. The story was intended to send a message about the dangers of extreme dieting.