I have been waiting for
this article to be written for a very long time.
Since four years ago when the reality tv show The Biggest Loser started screening in Australia, I have had serious concerns and issues about the treatment of contestants on the show. Many times I was loathe to watch it, but felt I needed to so I was aware of what was going on. Some of the more distressing and concerning things I have seen happen on the show include –
A male contestant engaging in a secret binge eating episode while sobbing uncontrollably, only later to be chastised by his trainer for not being self controlled. The fact it was clear this person was suffering from a mental illness and the binge was clearly driven by psychological and emotional distress was completely ignored.
A team of contestants competing in a week long challenge where they were given $50 to purchase all their food for the week. To say they were eating miniscule amounts of food (while doing up to 6 hours of exercise a day) is an understatement.
A female contestant, clearly distressed and having breathing difficulties, being screamed at by an army soldier while she was face down in a puddle of mud. Seems the fact she had been exercisely strenuously for a long period of time was not acceptable to him and humiliating her was in order.
I am not at all surprised that medical professionals are now expressing
doubt about the program’s regimen of severe caloric restriction and up to six hours a day of strenuous exercise. Every single doctor, dietitian and even personal trainer I have spoken to about the show has had concerns about the severity of the diet the contestants are placed on and the level of daily exercise they do. One day I will do a
Beautiful You interview with one or more of them as I think what they have to say on this issue presents a new side to the argument that everything that is done for the contestants is for the betterment of their health.
The now admitted behaviour of former contestants seems to support Dr Burants concerns. In pursuit of the prize money contestants have deliberatly dehydrated themselves and when not being filmed exercised in heavy clothing. Trainer Jillian Michaels from the US based series has stated this is “just part of the nature of reality TV.” Really Jillian? Where is your or the executives of the program duty of care to these contestants to protect or stop them from doing such dangerous things?
The answer to that appears to be I’m afraid – nowhere – when contestants are asked to sign a waiver that states:
“no warranty, representation or guarantee has been made as to the qualifications or credentials of the medical professionals who examine me or perform any procedures on me in connection with my participation in the series, or their ability to diagnose medical conditions that may affect my fitness to participate in the series.”
WHAT? There is no guarantee given that the health of Biggest Loser contestants is monitored by a qualified medical professional? How can the television network and producers be getting away with asking people, many of whom have serious health problems, to sign something like this? It horrifies me to think these people are out there doing extreme things to their bodies, without even the guaranteed safety net of the credentials of people there to ‘help’ them in a time of need. Even this I will admit has shocked me. At the very least I thought that some very well paid medical professionals would be right at hand when needed. If indeed they are – why the need for this clause?
A reunion show of 40 past US Biggest Loser contestants is due to screen in the coming days. The original winner of the program is already known to not be attending due to the fact he has put back on all the weight he lost on the program. My heart goes out to him as I suspect the prize money is no real consolation to him now. A follow up post may be due.
What are your thoughts on The Biggest Loser? It is a very popular program and well watched. Are you a fan or have you, like me, always had concerns? How do you feel about the underside of the program now being exposed?
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I think this show is so incredibly dangerous and frustrating. It trivializes the serious psychological aspects of binge eating disorder/comfort eating and other EDs. The fact that no 'head-stuff' is dealt with on the show is frustrating. Why don't they deal with the reasons behind the comfort eating? It takes it to such a simplistic level.
I have an eating disorder. I know first hand how damaging rapid weightloss can be. It's done damage to internal organs which *might* regenerate if I'm very lucky. Similar to one of the quotes – I've wondered why no one's had a heart attack yet.
The show makes me SO mad!
GREAT Article!!! I hate BL and NEVER watch it, and I've talked to my Personal Trainer about it and he's appalled at the way the contestants are treated.
Thanks for this article! I couldn't agree more.
I tried watching the show when it first aired, but, like you, so many things troubled and upset me about how the contestants were treated. Simply, the show focuses on wrong and dangerous ways to loose weight rather than health and safety. It sends a horrible message about weight loss.
I've been on diets since the age of 10, and for the first time in my life I'm loosing a large amount of weight safely and slowly and realistically. My goal is to loose 150 lbs. So far, it's been nearly 2 years, and I've lost 90 lbs. I figure it's gonna take me 3 years of the tried-and-true method of healthy eating and exercise. Instead of dieting, I've changed my eating habits and exercise routine to something I can live with beyond reaching my weight loss goal. It's taken me a long time to learn this, I'm 43 now, and I feel amazing.
Thank you for helping to expose both the dangerous truths and callous attitudes towards the contestants of this show. Your blog is marvelous!
Thanks for that lovely feedback Elaine and all the very best with your journey.
I watched the very first season of this and although the title of the show bothered me, the show itself didn't. I liked Jillian's way of training, she reminded me a little of myself, tough and sassy. I used to tell my personal training clients, "Complaining doesn't burn calories!".
Years ago I left the gym because it did not fulfill me. I took another look at TBL and didn't like what I saw. Jillian was mean and I found it ridiculous that these people were restricted to approximately 1200 calories per day and loads of exercise. They were made to feel terrible if they were injured and what horrified me was that their teammates and trainers were blatantly disappointed in them if they didn't lose about 10 pounds per week. 10 POUNDS PER WEEK?!?!?!? I am dumbfounded that this show continues to be popular, season after sad, sad season.
I hate that the show's name has a double meaning – who loses the most weight, but also, you are such a loser you need to loose weight. It frustrates me to hear the contestants say all the time, "I changed my life!!" Well, no you didn't change your life, you lost weight. In order to change your life many things have to change too, and it includes more than just exercising all day long. The show is essentially teaching these people how to be anorexic and showing the world that it is okay, because 'its for their health' I watched it for several seasons but have since gotten disgusted. Like someone else mentioned – in the first season or so, if you lost a couple pounds in a week, it was good. Now, if you loose less than 5 you are a complete failure. It is rediculous.
Last night I was reading AJ Rochester's book "Confessions of a Reformed Dieter" (why? Because my ed got the better of me in the library and convinced me it was a good idea. It was THE MOST stupid idea of my life and triggering beyond belief. Apparently I can't read dieting books). While she's no longer the host of TBL, I think what I have to say is still valid.
What made me SO angry is that before going on this diet, she had struggled with anorexia/bulimia/binge eating for years. She was even seeing an eating disorders psychiatrists. Yes, her humor is very sharp and quick, but it's also so extremely negative (comments like "backside the size of Europe"). As well as this, she did her on filmed lifestyle show with Foxtel and they followed her over a year (maybe longer, I'm not quite sure) and got her to lose less than 1kg/week. Which is recommended for those who need to lose weight.
So as well as promoting on the biggest loser; ridiculously high weight loss (dangerously high sometimes) AND in many respects what I see as eating-disordered behavior….she's been through the psychological terror/torture of an ed herself AND even SHE didn't lose weight that fast. I'm horrified she was promoting TBL, and always have been, but it's even worse in light of what I read last night.