An "Annoyance" (or Two!) on "The Biggest Loser"
Monday October 19, 2009
Getting caught up on "The Biggest Loser" this weekend ... I was glad to finally hear trainer Bob say that he found it "annoying" when people seemed disappointed at 6- or 7-pound losses. That has always annoyed me about the show ... big time. No one in their right mind in any other circumstance would see anything close to a six-pound loss and feel dejected, but it happens time and time again.
Doesn't that sort of scene set up people to have way out in "left field" expectations of their own weight loss? I am thrilled when I lose two pounds in a week, so I certainly can't imagine being disappointed at six! But if you didn't know about how weight loss works in the real world, would you think that was a "bad" week thanks to what you'd seen on the show?
Also, frankly, I find it very, very annoying when still-overweight people are worked out so intensely that they pass out ... which also happened last week. Anyone else find that slightly ... well, annoying? Post your opinions in comments!
These people are training 5 hours per day and have to stay within approx. 1200 calories per day, which is insane. This is the reason the most of them can’t maintain the weight loss in the real world. Who has 5 hrs per day to work out for the rest of their life, and it requires about 800-1,000 calories per day just to maintain life.
I have a love/hate relationship with that show for those reasons. I hate when people say that they had a bad week when they don’t realize what they’ve done in such a short time period. But at the same time, no trainer in their right mind would do this to a client in the real world. Mainly because no one has the medical backing that the show does to make it “safe” for them to work as hard as they do from day one. And I agree with the above comment about the real world, and I think that was expressed during the finale last season for the first time (at least on the show), where going home and having a job, family, and life meant they weren’t in the gym 24/7, like they could be at the ranch. And it showed when they hit the scales after all those months of training and most didn’t look like body-builders, for the first time since I’ve started watching the show.
Annoying, yes! Surprising, no!
I like the show for pure entertainment value, and a bit of motivation to stay on my healthy routines. But at the end of the day, NBC does not care about these people, they only care about ratings. Why else would they have a cupcake eating contest on a weight-loss reality show?
I so agree about the disappointment over losing 4 or 5 or 6 pounds. Puh-leeze! But of course big numbers help insure they stay in the game. Which is kind of funny (not in a ha-ha-good way) because the ones who are having trouble losing are often the ones who need the whole program more than the big losers. But it’s a game show and pounds lost is the measure of a (game) winner.
I wish it could be set up differently. Use more than just pounds/percentage weight loss to determine who goes and who stays. Use inches, health improvements, strength, stamina, and other factors too — which would probably be harder to implement.
I didn’t start watching until the 3rd season or so — and only sporadically. But even if they’ve done it before, it’s time to do it again — show us more detail about what the contestants do all day. I’d like to see more of the daily workout routines, meals, etc. It’s a game show, yes, but I’m most interested (as I imagine a lot of us are) in the weight loss, nutrition, and exercise aspects… wouldn’t mind more challenges too — those are fun to watch!
it is very good.
i like it
You have to remember, these people are being voted off based on the amount of weight they lose (or aren’t able to lose). I’m sure that plays a factor in their disappointment, especially if it costs them the game. Plus, reality check plays a major factor. They’re following such a strict regimen without fully understanding that a 5 or 6 pound loss is the equivalent of 17,500-21,000 calorie burn.
When I decided to take the step to lose weight to become more healthy, I chose to educate myself on what is realastic and how to lose weight in a healthy safe way. The show on the other hand is so extreme, and doesn’t provide enough education to the viewers. I’m concerned about the viewers that are not educated in knowing what is a realistic weightloss goal, what should I eat, not eat and so on. This can lead to someone who originally had an overweight issue and turn them into someone that has an eating disorder or over exercises.
Those poor people. If I happen to catch that show while channel surfing, I sit and continue watching. It’s like a train wreck; I can’t look away.
These people are putting their bodies through enormous stress that cannot be maintained long term. They are playing a game with their lives, and it is sad, because they think they’re learning permanent health strategies. They are likely only beginning a giant yo-yo spin. I weep for them, because it is so public, and when they regain the weight, they will be shamed and depressed. They will likely hide in their homes, their communities. They certainly won’t be encouraged to call out the program for the fraud that it is. They will, instead, be held up as failures. What madness.