I’ve been watching the ads on TV for the new season of ‘The Biggest Loser’ here in Australia and it made me think a bit.
One of the ads showed this really big lady and the voiceover says something like “I will be a Size 10”. Why? Can’t she be a Size 14 or 16 and just be healthy? I don’t understand why the show can’t just encourage people to get healthy instead of telling them they have to drop to such and such size if they want their health back.
Also, as others have said before me – isn’t the show promoting a negative body image and perpetuating the belief that we must get thin and quick if we really want to be happy? If the point of the show is to inspire, then the goals should be a little more realistic. The participants are losing weight like crazy but how many are succeeding at keeping it off? Many of these contestants have been interviewed later and so many have confessed that the weight piled back on almost immediately.
So what exactly is the point of the show then? As good as their intentions might be and as much as they might insist the contestants are not being pushed beyond what they’re capable of, I’m not sure its working as planned. I think it’s great if the show does inspire you but for the most part it’s probably just creating unrealistic weight loss expectations, especially among the audience at home who’s sitting there thinking “Hmm…I could lose 70 pounds as quick as her. Lets do this!”
What about you? As a viewer at home are you encouraged by these “losers” or are you just discouraged because you can’t keep up with the ridiculous standards the show seems to set. I’d like to hear what you have to say about ‘The Biggest Loser’.
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Hello Radhika! Here's something "REAL SWEET" for you! You are going to "LOVE THIS"! My take on The Biggest Loser!!! Leviticus 19:36 [36] Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt. Proverbs 11:1 [1] A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight Proverbs 16:11 [11] A just weight and balance are the LORD's: all the weights of the bag are his work. Proverbs 20:23 [23] Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good. Ezekiel 45:10 [10] Ye shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath. I Isaiah 58:6 [6] Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Isaiah 58:11 [11] And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. GOD favors the man and woman whos weight is balanced! HE did not say make skinny thy bones: HE SAID:( AND MAKE FAT THY BONES:). You should read all of Isaiah 58 it's not long you'll have a better understanding! If any one skinny were to fast over a week it would kill them! When GOD made man and woman he made us "BALANCED" and in the balance is a "RESERVE" that is for us to come back after fasting! Now you see why I LOVE A WOMEN WITH FAT BONES!!! ps: The Biggest Loser or skinnys! Radhika you stay "SWEET" because I know you are! With Love: From Clinton Bond Member No 57738
I agree that it promotes an unrealistic premise. These people on the show are not having to do any of this work while handling a job, family requirements or plain everyday living situations. The cost of the intense program would be staggering for most peoples budgets. It is discouraging to see that a healthy body image is not really promoted but that everyone should be as thin as possible to be a winner. I have noticed that they have not devoted any real time to information as to what it costs to provide these contestants with the help and environment in which they compete. That would not make good television if most people came to realize that it is out of their reach financially to do the same on their own.
While I don't watch the show myself (I detest reality TV), I do agree that it's not very realistic or healthy. As someone who is in the middle of a pretty drastic weight-loss program myself, I can attest that one of the more difficult aspects is planning my meals and gym sessions around the rest of my life, as Garnet pointed out. I'm doing it the old fashioned way - healthy diet and lots of exercise - but even that is expensive: gyms and personal trainers don't come cheap! Also, I don't think Biggest Loser does enough to educate the competitors, which is why they often put the weight back on. If you're being told every day "Do this, don't do that, eat this, don't eat that" then you'll never learn for yourself! My personal trainer gives me eating guidelines, but I still have to plan my own meals. He gives me a workout to do, but he doesn't call me every day reminding me to do it...Learning to be healthy yourself is the only way to lose weight without damaging your health and then keep it off, in my opinion.
i like how the men look BEFORE they lose weight!
I personally hate the show. It makes me want to eat chocolate like it is going out of style. Not sure whether that is because I feel that I will never lose 10kg in a week so why bother or if it is the ha ha, I can eat chocolate and you can't kid in me. I can't see what is motivating about humiliating somebody in front of the nation in a tank top and bike shorts on a huge set of scales. I fail to see how it is realistic to encourage the general public to think they can do it too when these guys are exercising 7 hours a day, have dr's, physios, ansd other medical professionals at hand, somebody else doing the shopping etc. I work up to 12 hours a day, have business lunches, breakfast meetings, and I try to get a walk in everyday and eat well, ahilst looking after my father and trying to have a social life. Where is the show encouraging positive body image what ever shape size colour religion you are? I love who I am, my size 26 body, and all I stand for.