Reality television can help and hinder the angle at which people see fitness as something they can achieve. Show’s like Celebrity Fit Club, Thintervention, Money Hungry and The Biggest Loser are intended to shed light on the overweight/obesity epidemic in America and show people that is entirely possible to lose weight and feel better about yourself overall if you dedicate commitment, discipline and consistency to the fight to be healthy.
Great intentions…but I’m not sure folks are actually getting it. The handicap is that the contestants on these shows, particularly “The Biggest Loser”, are in a sort of “bubble”. A controlled environment where they have easy access to doctors, nutritionists, workout equipment, healthy food, tough and unforgiving personal trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, motivation from each other, family members (if it’s that type of season), etc. It’s the perfect place to lose weight. What can also be misleading is that the contestants are being trained like athletes. The workouts they go through, for hours a day, are equivalent to what professional athletes do to workout and get in shape.
You may be thinking…well what about the people who get kicked off because they didn’t lose enough weight? Well, the key word here is “enough”. The rules of the show determine that if you don’t lose “enough” weight, you get kicked off. The fact is…they ARE losing weight. 6-10 pounds or more a week, on average, is incredible, for anyone.
My point is…inspiration to get healthy and take charge of your health should come from the fact that discipline, commitment and consistency are key components to doing so. It should come from true, everyday stories of folks who have put in work to make it happen. Learning about what works and what doesn’t. What foods can harm your progress and which foods are the best for your goals. On a television show, it’s all done for you. In real life, researching and educating yourself is what’s effective. And in real life you aren’t penalized for only losing 3 pounds in one week. To me, losing that much in one week, or even 2 weeks should be celebrated.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the Biggest Loser because of the lives it changes on the ranch. The contestants are able see how much hard work really does pay off and their health changes for better. No more risk for heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol and clinical obesity. If they apply what they’ve learned on the ranch at home, they continue to be successful.
Bob having some fun on the leg press. Wow.
Last but not least, sometimes, people bring preconceived notions about what fitness and working out should be into their sessions with a personal trainer. A good trainer brings a variety of exercises to each session and pays attention to a client’s ability, goals, health status, motivation, effort and mood. Snatching some moves from a t.v. show and making a client do them is very unrealistic, and not to mention, dangerous. Expecting Biggest Loser results when you first begin working out will crush your hopes of getting in shape. But expecting to meet your goals through discipline, commitment and consistency will start you on a better path toward health and wellness. Remember…you don’t live in a bubble.
What do you think about how shows like The Biggest Loser portray weight loss and health?
In response to the article as a whole: YESSS! Sometimes, it’s so easy to get caught up in the romanticized results that shows like TBL shows for the entertainment/loyalty value. I remember reading a story featuring one of the winners that claims that often, a week on the show was more, closer to 12 days or even more. There are the tales of contestants starving and dehydrating themselves before weigh-ins, and a bunch of other “not for tv” practices.
This story stuck out to me: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/18/kai-hibbard-biggest-loser_n_617414.html
Beez, thank you so much for your feedback and the link to the post. Once folks realize that T.V. weight-loss is just that, they’ll have a better chance at understanding what it really takes to lose weight. Living in that bubble makes everything glorified. My attempt here was for folks to understand that it takes dedication, commitment and consistency to get the job done. Nothing less, nothing more. I always appreciate your comments, Beez. Thanks!
I agree that these shows play up the weight loss for the entertainment factor. If you watch them with that in mind, they are interesting and inspiring. I never expect to see those kinds of results at home.
But, when I see any kind of success at home, I feel like I can share in the Biggest Losers’ etc. success stories.
I applaud these shows for exposing how deadly obesity is. I lost my mother four years ago to morbid obesity and a host of other problems. Anything that would work to reverse that trend is good in my book!