The real Biggest Losers

Recently, a study of contestant from Season 8 of NBC’s The Biggest Loser were followed for six years. 

After completing a gruelling season of work-outs, diet, and being yelled at by trainers, all but one regained the weight.  So should shows like TBL be scrapped altogether?

Critics, some former contestants themselves, have been lambasting the show for years.  Stories of behind the scenes diet tricks have be appearing online for years.  But who in their right mind thinks it’s safe to drop over 200 pounds in seven months? 

And yet, viewers tuned in each season to watch the pounds come off.

At one time, producers brought TBL alumni into the gym to inspire contestants.  However, that tactic was noticeably absent in recent seasons.  Now we know why.  There weren’t many success stories left.

And according to the study, the problem wasn’t that the contestants were slipping back into unhealthy behaviours.  It was that their metabolism had significantly slowed during the competition.  They could no longer consume the same calories as someone of similar weight and lifestyle who hadn’t experience such extreme weight loss.  Not unless they lived at the gym.

So apparently, if you’re fat, you’re fat.  And the biggest losers are the ones who took part in the show.

But before we throw out the baby with the bathwater, perhaps we need to get realistic with ourselves.

Obesity rates in North America are growing.  We are a sedentary society and we’re not teaching our kids anything to change this trend.  Despite the availability of information online, people don’t bother to learn about nutrition.  They’re selective about the parts or the oil that goes into their car, but not about what they put in their own body. 

For all its questionable tactics, TBL did teach viewers something about nutrition, cooking healthy, and what’s really in the food they eat.  It also inspired a lot of people to get their butts off the couch – especially those who felt hopeless and alone. 

Furthermore, the contestants in the study who did regain the weight did not see a return of their former health problems such as diabetes. 
So the exercise and better eating habits that they’d left the show with did improve their overall health, even after the weight returned.

TBL also helped to reinvigorate food banks across the U.S. with their Pound-for-Pound program.  The show donated one pound of food to food banks for every one pound registered as lost by viewers who were working out at home – adding up to hundreds of thousands of pounds over time.

The truth is, viewers won’t watch without the drama of those huge weight-loss numbers.  Because deep down we all hope there’s one single “trick” that will drop those extra ten pounds in a week. 

It would be great for TBL to be more honest and healthy in its approach to weight loss.  But who would tune in to watch someone lose a pound a week? 

We can see that just looking in the mirror.