Monday - November 17, 2008

Love Triangle

A new study shows that in America, as many as one in five men is having an extramarital affair, and that 15 percent of women are cheating too. Is your spouse being unfaithful? Jessica says she caught her husband of two and a half years, Ryan, having an affair with his ex-wife, April, whom she thought was her friend. Ryan admits to having a one-time only rendezvous with April, but April says it occurred closer to 60 times. Who's telling the truth? Jessica fears her husband and April are still keeping secrets from her. Because Ryan and April share custody of a son, Jessica laid down specific rules for when they interact. Are these stipulations keeping Ryan's behavior in check? After Dr. Phil sends Ryan backstage to have a private conversation with his wife, does he admit to more than the one-night fling with April? Will Jessica decide to rebuild the bond with her husband or cut him loose? Then, Daniel admitted to his wife, Karen, that he had an emotional affair with a woman he met online. Only days before coming to the show, he confessed that the affair was sexual. He says he's sorry and wants to put his family back together, but will Karen take him back?

Tuesday - November 18, 2008

“My Child Can’t Stop Eating”

Dieters know how hard it is to shed five or 10 pounds. What do you do when you need to lose 100 pounds … and you’re just 10 years old? Dr. Phil talks to parents who say they can’t get their child to stop eating, and they fear this food addiction could turn deadly. Luz’s daughter, Kayla, is just 5 years old, but she already tips the scales at 113 pounds. Luz says her child throws temper tantrums when she doesn’t eat, and she once screamed so loudly for junk food, her neighbors called the police! Does Kayla have an eating disorder, or is Luz enabling her? Dr. Jim Sears, host of the new show The Doctors, gives this mom a wake-up call. Then, Stephanie says her 3-year-old daughter, SaJatta, is addicted to sausage and grits. The toddler weighs 88 pounds and gets winded just walking up the stairs in her house. SaJatta’s grandmother, Mary, says the little girl is spoiled, and she doesn’t know how to say no to her. What do the results from SaJatta's blood work reveal? Can the family conquer her obesity? Plus, Mary says her daughter, Brittany, was an active child until she broke her ankle five years ago. Now at age 10, Brittany weighs 190 pounds, and her folks say she’s turned into a couch potato. How can Mary and her husband, Roger, motivate the child to lose weight? Fitness trainer Robert Reames has a surprise for the family!

Wednesday - November 19, 2008

Shoplifting Confessions

As the nation suffers through an economic meltdown, many Americans resort to drastic measures to keep their families afloat. Just how far would you go to stay in the black? Laura and her husband, Allen, say they’ve made nearly $1 million in the last six years. There’s just one problem –- they don’t have jobs! Self-proclaimed professional shoplifters, the couple says they travel across state lines to steal TVs, toys, electronics and more –- and they often take their three young children along on their heists. They videotape themselves to show Dr. Phil how they get away with nabbing big-ticket items. Do Laura and Allen just get a thrill from thievery, or are they kleptomaniacs? Can the couple quit for good before they get arrested and lose their children? Then, Tami and Chris have a beautiful house, three cars and two children. But Tami says her husband is shattering their idyllic home life with his shoplifting addiction. She says he’s been arrested four times and was recently sentenced to 90 days in state prison. Chris joins Dr. Phil via satellite from jail to tell his side of the story. Find out why he says he can’t stop stealing, but when he hears his 4-year-old daughter's emotional plea, will he change his mind? And, Tami’s mom, Marilyn, calls Chris a pathological liar and says her daughter needs to kick him to the curb. Is Chris beyond redemption? Will he be able to clean up his act?

Thursday - November 20, 2008

Spouses at War

From the outside, they appear to be a perfect couple – successful, affluent and respected in the community. But behind closed doors, Jake and Donna’s knock-down, drag-out fights are driving them to the brink of divorce. Donna says that Jake’s abusive temper ranges from terrible verbal insults, to threatening to push her over a second-story railing, to waving a gun around! Though his apologies come with elaborate gifts, Donna says she just wants the abuse to end. Meanwhile, Jake says Donna is controlling, only in the marriage for the money and cold to their adopted 7-year-old twin daughters. What does the rest of the family think? You may be surprised by what Jake’s stepdaughter has to say. See how this couple’s constant power struggle is crippling their 20-year marriage. Will their individual need to win cause them both to lose, or will they rebuild the love they once knew?

Friday - November 21, 2008

Same-Sex Marriage: Prop 8 Debate

It’s a hot-button topic in California and around the country: The passage of Proposition 8, which reinstated a ban on same-sex marriage. Supporters of this initiative voted to preserve the sanctity of marriage solely between a man and a woman. Opponents of Prop 8 say it violates the constitutional rights of the gay community and that America’s laws should treat everyone equally. Since Election Day, numerous protests and rallies have been organized to overturn the law, and the debates are getting heated regarding this highly personal and controversial topic. Dr. Phil’s guests debate their opposing points of view: Discrimination attorney Gloria Allred, president of the Human Rights Campaign Joe Solmonese, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Pastor Jim Garlow, president of National Organization of Marriage Maggie Gallagher and co-campaign manager for the Yes on 8 Campaign Jeff Flint. Whatever your beliefs, you won’t want to miss this show!

LAST WEEK'S SHOWS

- Drew Peterson

- Risky Teen Behavior

- Hitman

- Dr. Phil's Get Real Retreat

- "My Mom vs. My Man!"