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DEL.ICIO.USWarning about Biggest Loser on NBC
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I am not much of a reality T.V. watcher or watch much of anything for that matter. One show that I do like is the Biggest Loser. It’s one of the few shows that I feel that you can actually learn from and be motivated. However, there are a few flaws that you must be aware of if you do watch the show and I want to point them out to you.
Flaw 1- Quick weight loss. Though I can not remember who it was, there was a gentleman who broke a one week record of 31 pounds lost in one week (I might be off the figure a little). Though this is extraordinary, you have to consider that some of the weight loss is not body fat. There are 3,500 calories per pound of fat. That means he would have had to use more than 108,500 calories in that one week. This kind of fat loss would practically be science fiction, kind of like what you saw in the movie Nutty Professor with Eddie Murphy.
Flaw 2- Unrealistic in the Real World. I have been asked if this kind of weight loss is achievable. I must say that it appears that it can be. I remember when I was a grunt in the U.S. Army basic training program, there were a couple of kids who lost close to 15 pounds in one week. Though it is possible to lose a lot of weight in one week as body fat, you would have to exercise from morning to night. You are also limited to a particular diet deplete of any junk-food. This is also the case for the Biggest Loser contestants. In your world, you have your time filled with work, family, and only God knows what else. Therefore, the more realistic weight loss of 2 pounds per week may be more realistic for you.
Flaw 3- Only Weight is measured. If you want to get a accurate measurement of body fat loss, then you need to test for it. The stigma of weight in this country is bad enough as it is. Though I may recognize that the show is more than about weight loss, at the end of the show that is all it’s about. Many people watching may not get past that and it would be great to show how body fat decreased, blood pressure improved, cholesterol decreased, etc. Yes, I know there is probably not enough time and it many people don’t care to know about that stuff. I will also admit that when one is as obese as the Biggest Loser contestants, weight is a good form of measurement. I just wish we could move away from the body weight only stigma.
All in all, the Biggest Loser is a show that you should watch to become inspired and motivated. You may have seen an article or two in the AJC’s Better Health section of people who lost lots of weight, but didn’t do it over night. The one thing all of these guys had in common was that they weight trained, did cardiovascular exercise, and changed their eating habits.
Have you been inspired by the Biggest Loser or someone else who lost a lot of weight?
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Comments
By Steve-O
September 19, 2007 3:17 PM | Link to this
I couldn’t agree more. I’d say a majority of what was lost was water weight. Sure, some fat was burned, but no way was there 31 pounds of fat lost.
That’s why there was such a big difference from week 1 to week 2.
By Keep it Real
September 20, 2007 8:06 AM | Link to this
Great Blog on this subject Kelly. As a trainer myself, I have clients who expect plastic surgery overnight. These shows really aren’t “Reality” as we are the ones in the trenches working with real people every day.
By Kat
September 25, 2007 11:50 AM | Link to this
For season one of The Biggest Loser, they did a fat loss test involving a dunk tank of some kind. That figure was combine with the number of pounds lost to determine the final winner. I don’t know why they don’t do that anymore. Probably it’s just not dramatic enough, compared to the “big moment” of stepping on the scale. Also, I have heard it mentioned by the trainers on the show that a lot of the first-week loss is water, and they warn the contestants that they probably won’t see numbers like that again. I have to say that I don’t usually watch reality TV because of the emotional manipulation of the players, and TBL does it as well. Any challenge where only the winners get letters from home is just cruel. However, I do watch it because it’s motivating to me to see real people with real weight loss challenges succeed. I’ve lost 28 pounds since May, just by joining a gym, and changing my diet. No drugs, supplements, fads, or surgery for me. I think that is the strength of the show, is that it shows that it can be done that way.