A reader sent me this video, where a former contestant of NBS’s The Biggest Loser revealed some disturbing truths about the show.
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Apparently this comes as a surprise to many of the show’s loyal viewers. If so, it shouldn’t. Reality check: shows like The Biggest Loser are nothing more than fitness theater. It’s not real life. Sure, contestants lose a ton of weight. They are placed in a controlled environment, follow what amounts to a starvation diet, and are subjected to hours upon hours of exercise. Based on Newton’s First Law of Thermodynamics, expending more calories than you take in will result in weight loss. Can’t argue with physics.
But this is neither a realistic way for the rest of the world to to pursue weight loss, nor is it a good strategy for lasting weight management. What’s particularly disturbing is the pressure to which contestants are subjected in order to lose more weight than the other competitors. As claimed in the video, the extreme dehydration techniques employed are dangerous to say the least. Moreover, the trainers on the show display a complete lack of understanding about exercise physiology, and often have contestants perform acts that utilize poor form and are highly risky for their current fitness level (apparently a number of contestants have been hospitalized).
The bottom line is that weight loss should be approached systematically. A realistic goal is to lose about 1-2 pounds per week. Over the course of six months, this can equate to 50 pounds of fat loss! Best of all, this can be accomplished with a sensible nutritional regimen and a properly structured exercise program performed 3-4 days a week; something everyone can follow. Before you know it, you’ll be sporting a terrific body while those TV contestants have all gained back their previous weight.
Stay Fit!
Brad
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July 13th, 2010 at 9:20 am
Hi Brad. Thanks for posting this. I absolutely agree with you 100 percent! None of these shows are reality–though they claim to be so. Not to mention probably the thousands of dollars contestants have to spend to fly to “the ranch,” invest in fitness clothes, take off work, etc.
Good job in exposing this. Most people want to lose weight overnight, but they didn’t gain it overnight.
July 13th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
So true, JC. Appreciate the feedback
Brad