NBC’s hit show “The Biggest Loser” seems to be doing pretty well in the ratings. It also seems to be doing a good service: getting people in shape. While this is something I endorse wholeheartedly, I’ve never really been a fan of the show. The way the show often portrays weight loss is not applicable or helpful for most of their viewers at home.
First of all, the show seems to constantly bait the contestants into losing weight. This “carrot on a stick” approach sure is fun to watch, but I believe it actually devalues exercise as a whole and develops terrible motivational habits. If you are motivated to perform an activity under the promise of money every time, you will have absolutely zero willpower to continue once the allure of money is gone. Exercise, or at least the natural benefits from it, should be its own reward.
Second, the training provided on the show is wildly unsustainable in a real-life situation. Living in a separate environment, with dedicated full-time personal trainers, in a competition to see who can lose the most weight is absolutely guaranteed to provide results. However, for any viewer at home, or the contestants themselves when they return to the real world, are left with little help if they are told that this extreme scenario is what it takes to actually lose weight. The trainers on the show do provide tiny nuggets of take away wisdom that we can all benefit from, but these seem to be little help when all the real work is done in a 24/7 training camp.
Lastly, the show just adds needless drama to these people’s lives for the sole purpose of entertaining reality TV. It isn’t necessary to portray losing weight as a competition, especially one where there are so many opportunities to stab each other in the back. While it wouldn’t make for an entertaining show, it would be immensely more beneficial if each contestant were encouraging and supporting each other instead of simply trying to keep their opponents fat so they will be kicked off the show at next week’s elimination.
This show claims to be reality TV at its best; helping people help themselves. In reality, it seems to only undermine effective techniques and exploit the contestants for the sole purpose of ratings. I can’t say I blame the show for trying to get the most viewers possible, but I just wanted share some thoughts that have been bothering me lately. Maybe I’m way off base, but I think that if you really need cash prizes and cheesy reality TV programing to lose weight, chances are the changes you made will only last as long as the cameras are pointed at you.
