"The Biggest Loser"

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2004
"The Biggest Loser"
27
Tue, 10-05-2004 - 2:01pm
Have you guys seen the commercials for the next reality show? Its called the Biggest Loser and centers around people losing weight. Im not quite sure how I feel about it and probably wont make up my mind until I see an episode. I just know that they are gonna have trainers who are pushing them to lose weight and they are probably on teams. Ive seen a few clips from it and I heard someone say something about wanting a donut but they said it forcefully and like they were gonna die without it. Whatever lol

And speaking of that, when is Alley's new show gonna start?

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-28-2004
Thu, 10-28-2004 - 1:56am
Hi everyone,

New to this board and I just had to chime in on this discussion because I've been dying to talk to someone about this show! I have mixed feelings, but I lean more toward appalled than liking it.

One the one hand, I appreciate anything on losing weight that recommends doing things the good old fashioned way by diet and exercise than by endorsing weird fads or surgery. And I can sympathize with most of the contestants (with a few exceptions they are likeable) and also, seeing others succeed at losing weight is always an inspiration.

But that's where my positive comments end. Here's what I HATE about this show:

1. It promotes unrealistic expectations. Contestants are working out up to five hours a day (an article in People Magazine said they suffered sprains, bruises, and even stress fractures!). And in the first week some people lost over 20 pounds!! Unrealistic and unhealthy!! We all know that losing weight that fast generally means that it comes right back faster than it came off, usually with a little more. Also, weight loss like that is unsustainable, as we witnessed in the second week when they lost much less weight and some lost none at all. But they don't tell you that that kind of loss is unsustainable and they vote each other out because they can't lose an average of 10 pounds per week!! It's unrealistic and unhealthy and the last thing I need as a fat person is for some skinny person to think that I'm lazy because I can't lose 20 pounds per week like they did on The Biggest Loser.

2. They don't talk anything about nutrition. They give the impression that they're all surviving on 1,000 calories per day and don't talk about how the 400 pound person needs more calories than the 170 pound person, etc. There's NO discussion about the need to customize based on different factors such as age, weight, etc.

3. Like someone else said, there's no accounting for the different amounts of weight people are going to be able to lose based on gender, size, etc. Of course all the women are going to be voted off first because they're going to lose slower than the men either because they have less muscle or because they have less to lose over all.

4. All of those people need help and how are you supposed to get help when you're voted off? Some of those people went in with the cards stacked against them (for reasons previously discussed). But if I've been humiliated on national tv and I've been voted off because I can't lose enough weight, what is that going to do to me emotionally? Personally, it would send me straight to the Haagen Dazs and fast food to drown my sorrows. I'd be emotionally scarred and I'd be no closer and no better prepared to be able to deal with my problem. Thanks a lot for nothing!

5. At the end of the day, I think it's more exploitative than anything. It's there to embarrass people and to prey on the vulnerabilities. It's hard enough being fat in this world without a show that exploits every one of your weaknesses for the almighty rating.


There's a show on the Discovery Health Channel on cable called the Body Challenge that has the same concept but which handles it much more humanely. I love that show and watch it all the time.

In that show, the winner is the person who makes the most positive life changes, which is not necessarily the person who loses the most weight. It runs for 12 weeks and no one gets voted off so it allows for things like plateaus and the acknowledgement that some weeks you may lose a lot and others little or none. This approach levels the playing field for the different rates of weight loss for men and women and young and old.

Now, in the first two rounds of the show, the person who won was also the person who lost the most weight, but I think that's reflective of the fact that they made the most positive changes, not simply that they starved themselves or followed some goofy fad in an effort to lose weight the fastest and most unhealthy way possible. On the first show, the first runner up was actually the person who lost the least weight because the judges recognized that she had made a lot of positive changes such as adopting a regular exercise routine and that her mental outlook on herself and accomplishing her goals was one of the most positive of the group even despite the fact that she hadn't been able to lose the same amount of weight.

There's no stupid temptation tricks. People who win the challenges win prizes to either help them continue their progress, like a treadmill, or rewards for their hard work, like a weekend at a spa. And the show actually talks about nutrition and reasonabl exercise, and the fact that if you eat too little your body holds on to the weight, and all kinds of things that encompass a holistic, well rounded approach to losing weight.

THAT's the message that need's to be conveyed!! Do it right, do it healthy, and take care of yourself!! Of course, there's no back biting or arguing or sabotage or vomiting or tears of desperation so it could never get the kind of ratings that The Biggest Loser does, but at the end of the show everyone has actually been helped and not exploited. What a novel concept. Helping people, not humiliating them and discarding them once you've gotten the ratings you need. Imagine.

I already had a pretty low opinion of reality television and I didn't think it could get any lower. But as far as I'm concerned, The Biggest Loser represents the worst of the bunch.

Just my two cents. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

Josie :o)

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-28-2003
Thu, 10-28-2004 - 9:00am
I didn't watch this weeks episode of Loser, and when I realised I'd missed it... I realised I hadn't missed it (: I'm not going to watch it, for many of the reasons you stated, Josie. For the same reason I didn't watch Dr. Phil's stuff... it's just exploitative with no education.

You said "I already had a pretty low opinion of reality television and I didn't think it could get any lower. But as far as I'm concerned, The Biggest Loser represents the worst of the bunch." I agree, but I'd also clump The Swan (or whatever it's called) in there with Loser. They're both two ends of the same spectrum and highly unreasonable.

Well, on the other hand, everyone on both shows signed up for it; they knew they'd be on national TV and gawked at, talked about 'round the water cooler. In any case, I don't have to support it by watching it, and so I won't! I think I'll try to find the Discovery one you mentioned, though.

- Yav

"What is an 'Oprah'?" - Teal'c, SG-1

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2004
Thu, 10-28-2004 - 9:32am

Josie....thanks for chiming in with us!

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2004
Tue, 11-16-2004 - 8:34pm

Well there were questions by me on how they could possibly exercise that much and not get injured....on tonights challenge, four of the people had to sit out because they were injured.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-17-2003
Tue, 11-16-2004 - 10:37pm

I gotta say parts of this show really bother me. I only watched the last 30 minutes because my DH doesn't like it, but I really hate that they are voting people off. At least last week they voted off the guy who was most likely to continue to lose weight. You are right. The exercise is extreme. I am surprised someone hasn't had a heart attack. I also feel that it is unrealistic for normal people to lose that much weight in a week unless living the way they are. How many people(kids) are watching the show and thinking it is safe to lose 10 and 15 pounds a week? I know it has all been said before, but I had to say it again.

sharla

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Wed, 11-17-2004 - 9:11am
I am guessing they are all under extreme doctor care. I noticed last night one girl had tape and gauze on one of her arms like she'd had her blood drawn recently. I would like to know. Is anyone else having trouble seeing their weightloss? some of them have lost enough I would think it would be quite evident. Maybe it's just that they are on television and you don't get a true 3D impression. Hugs, Brenda

Hugs, Brenda 

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2004
Wed, 11-17-2004 - 9:15am
I saw that also Brenda, the tape and gauze.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Wed, 11-17-2004 - 9:21am
I think the girl just felt terribley guilty for not completing the challenge and that's what fueled her anger at the trainer. I don't like that trainer lady anyway. I would just like to smack her. She is always screaming and pushing. The guy trainer isn't doing that and his people are still losing weight. If it were me there I think we would be going head to head too. I agree about the unreasonable weight loss goal. I can't believe how much they are losing. Even with doctors care it can't be healthy. If nothing else what about their skin. It won't ever have the chance to tone up. Hugs, Brenda

Hugs, Brenda 

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-14-2003
Wed, 11-17-2004 - 9:37am

I watch it religiously every Tuesday night. I love it. Honestly, watching it helps motivate me even more. The evenings and weekends are my worse. I usually start to feel sorry for myself and sad. SO watching this show just helps out alot.

Machelle'
30lbs lost..70-100lbs to go

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-04-2004
Wed, 11-17-2004 - 10:35am

I don't usually watch reality TV, but I started watching this one because it was about weight loss. I like hearing about their weight loss struggles, because I can obviously relate to being overweight. But I can't stand the back stabbing that goes on. I didn't see the whole episode last night, but I did see the end when that guy was voted off. Everyone just ganged up on him and I felt so bad for him. I don't like how people get voted off, either. But I guess that's what makes the show interesting to most people. All the back stabbing and fighting makes me realize why I don't watch reality TV.

~~Linda

~~Linda