With the growing popularity of televisions shows like The Biggest Loser and Excess Baggage, people nationwide are feeling even more inspired to tackle their own health and fitness goals. And while a little inspiration is always welcome, are these extreme weight loss “reality” shows really the best model for you to be following? As Personal Trainers we hear a lot about these shows, so let’s take a look at both sides of the story.
Pros of weight loss TV shows:
1. They teach you the importance of accountability.
Contestants of The Biggest Loser demonstrate the importance of being accountable on multiple levels: accountability to themselves, to a partner, to a group and to the public. The more people you have to answer to, and the more encouragement you’re receiving, the less likely you are to fail.
2. They teach you the power of competition.
Ever been on a treadmill next to some one? When they increase their speed you increase yours, and vice versa, right? Chances are, you might not even realize you’re doing it. Human beings are hardwired for competition, and some of the most dramatic and impressive body transformations have come as a result of it. You may not have the advantage of vying for a huge sum of money or national recognition, but even a small dose of healthy competition—a group fitness class, even—does the body good.
3.They teach about the necessity of hard work.
Unlike other weight loss programs or diet supplements that promise spectacular results with very little effort, The Biggest Loser shows the amount of butt-busting work required to obtain such drastic results. Admittedly, the show errs on the extreme side of this—teetering on the brink of dangerous overtraining—but it’s important to bear in mind that the contestants don’t reach that shocking final weight by sitting on the couch. You get out what you put into it.
Cons of weight loss TV shows:
1.The focus is only on weight loss.
While it’s clear that contestants are losing fat from week-to-week, the only thing that’s being gaged is kilograms lost. You’re a “winner” or a “loser” (and treated like a “failure” if you only lose a few grams) based on what the scales says, not changes is body composition, fat, muscle, water and certainly not health and happiness! Several past contestants of The Biggest Loser have admitted to severely dehydrating themselves prior to weigh-ins. So what the public sees as a drastic weight loss may be a much less significant loss in body fat. Progress is better judged by focusing on a combination of factors—how your clothes are fitting, what you see in the mirror, strength improvement—and not just the number on the scale. And of course weight loss means nothing if you can’t be healthy, happy and enjoy your new life!
2.They downplay the danger of rapid weight loss.
While these shows’ trainers and producers may claim that they don’t condone unhealthy methods of weight loss, the inherent nature of these shows promote just that. The competition is so fierce and the stakes are so high that contestants are willing to go to dangerous extremes to reach their goals. Past U.S. The Biggest Loser contestant Ryan Benson disclosed on his MySpace blog, “I wanted to win so bad that the last ten days before the final weigh-in I didn’t eat one piece of solid food!” The numerous hazards associated with fast weight loss—electrolyte imbalances, increased risk of gout attacks and gall bladder complications, light-headedness—are either minimized or completely unmentioned.
3.The “reality show” environment doesn’t translate to real life.
Contestants on these shows are sequestered away for months, with very limited contact with their friends, families and the outside world. They dedicate anywhere from 4 to 6 hours a day to working out—completely unfeasible for any “normal” person with a job or kids. The controlled environment they live in is specifically designed to be the optimum setting for weight loss. Free from the temptations and distractions of everyday life, it’d be next to impossible for anyone not to succeed.
4.They encourage unrealistic expectations.
In post-show “Tell-Alls”, contestants from The Biggest Loser have revealed that the elapsed time between “weekly weigh-ins” was rarely, if ever, only a week. In fact, one past contestant claimed they could go an entire 25 days between weigh-ins. Of course, viewers at home don’t realize this. And when they see a contestant lose an amazing 10 kilos in seemingly one week, while they’re struggling to lose even one, it’s hard not to be discouraged.
5.What about lifelong maintenance?
There have been numerous post-show stories covering past contestants’ weight regain. As expected, the extreme measures taken to lose the weight during the course of the show were not sustainable, and contestants are seldom able to keep the kilograms off. When a person loses weight in such a rapid fashion, the chances of subsequently regaining that weight—and often, more—are extremely high. It’s the same reason why crash diets don’t work for long-term weight loss. In the dieting process, your muscles and tissues have been depleted of glycogen and water. As soon as you come off the plan and return to normal (even healthy) eating and activity, your body quickly works to restore your tissues. And having been lead to believe it’s been in starvation mode, your metabolism is sleepy and sluggish.
6. They promote dangerous exericse
There’s so much that can be said about this ” Biggest Loser article” that resonates with Fitness Enhancement Trainers. In summary, if we or any other Trainer in the real world injured this many clients, we’d be out of business!