Opinions are divided when it comes to the iconic weight loss show. No doubt thousands of people have been inspired by the transformations, and have themselves made some changes of their own for the better.
There is a dark side to show however, according to former contestant Kai Hibbard, who lost 118lbs in the third season of the show. Hibbard told ABC’s “The Morning Show” (watch the interview here) that producers used a number of tactics to distort results, promote fast weight loss, and otherwise create an environment conducive to disordered eating behavior.
Says Hibbard
I have people that come up to me and talk to me and ask me why they can’t lose 12 pounds in a week when I did…when I didn’t… It didn’t happen…its TV. I helped perpetuate a myth that’s dangerous. (Source)
(Hibbard claims that “a week’s” results were often longer than a week, and that she would dehydrate prior to weigh-ins).
She goes on to say;
The biggest loser isn’t a weight loss camp that happens to be filmed for TV, it’s a TV show that’s made to look like a weight loss camp.
She takes full responsibility for perpetuating a myth, and says she feels like a “coward” for not speaking up about her experience. She acknowledges that blowing the whistle on the shows practices will put her at risk for lawsuits.
Hibbard has since gained back about 2/3 of the weight she lost. Upon leaving the show, she claims to have suffered from a “very poor body image”. In the Morning Show interview, her husband recounts some very obsessive behavior, and some alarming physical changes such as hair loss.
It’s not the first allegation leveled towards the show.
NBC responded to the allegations with this;
Contestants on The Biggest Loser are closely monitored and medically supervised,” the network told Entertainment Weekly… The consistent health transformations of over 200 contestants through nine seasons of the program speak for themselves.
My opinion: Copout – plain and simple. Here’s 3 quick thoughts on why;
- Quotes like this interest me more for what WASN’T said, more so than what WAS said. Note that NBC didn’t deny the claims, they justified it by decreeing medical supervision.
- Since when does medical supervision justify dangerous practices? It’s okay to push way beyond your exercise and nutritional limits because we can revive you on the spot in the likelihood that you pass out.
- One card that charlatans love to play is the “look at how many people have achieved results doing our program”. Lots of people lost weight on “Kimkins” too – it doesn’t mean it’s safe, pragmatic, or in any way advisable.
Biggest Loser: more harm than good or vice versa?
The hotly contested debate rages on – is this just the reality of reality TV, or should the Biggest Loser clean up its act?
I personally applaud Kai Hibbard for bravely coming forward and exposing some of the dangerous, and otherwise questionable practices of the program – all for the sake of great theater.
And being 500 pounds is good for you? I have a father that is severly over weight and I wish he would eat a lot less, I do not think he would be in as bad as shape as he is if he starved himself even a little. There are many people who eat far less than 95% of people in America. Who cares if they lie about the time or decieve the viewers, many people have had the opportunity to lose weight and have a start at getting healthy the right way a lot easier than starting at 5oo pounds on their own.
Dumbass show. Geez, someone didnt copy survivor…. id like to see the producers, directors, ceo’s fat ass kids out there.. i guess it wyould be the equivalent of George BUSHS twits going into the army…
The show is for entertainment, but unhealthy to lose that much weight that fast. Also one of the at home winners is now speaking out at seminars that she took “supplements” once off the ranch and that is how she won the at home prize!! Isn’t that cheating???
I’m glad you consider yourself smart enough to realize the deception and dangerous practices going on. Unfortunately, despite your insulting remark, many people do not.
Whoops, I meant “I’ve never WATCHED TBL”
I’ve never was TBL. Do the winners get money? If so aren’t they just perpetuating a connection between weight loss and fame, fortune or some other external reward?
I’ve always thought of weight control as a component of a healthy lifestyle. Looking good is helpful and so is money, but health is the ultimate goal if we’re looking to be happier.
Why does that make her unreliable? From what I’ve read, MOST of the contestants regain a lot of their weight afterward. That’s part of the problem with the show – it’s not teaching these people how to make lifelong changes and keep up the weight loss long-term, it’s just showing them how to become temporarily anorexic and over-exercise.
From what I read she’s not the only contestant who gained back a lot of weight. This show is absurd. They pay those poor contestants, don’t they? While the powers-that-be producers exploit them? I hope it’s a lot of pay because nothing short of about a million dollars would make me want to abuse my body, mind and soul the way these people allow themselves to be abused.
I get that TBL isn’t (real)istic, and anyone who thinks people at home can get anywhere near those same results without putting their health, even lives, at risk, is just plain naive. It’s no different than any other (non)reality show–all about the ratings!
However–the fact that Kai regained 2/3 of her weight makes her somewhat of an unreliable source.
Nice post, Mike. Not surprised by the contestant’s comments, but I also agree that it does set unrealistic expectations from people.
i hate this show.
i agree, it sends an unrealistic message about weight loss. meanwhile, in the real world no doctor would ever tell their patient they should lose 10lbs a week. they know it’s not healthy.
unforunately, (imho) dieters often give up because they don’t see results fast enough, and if they’re getting their expectations from The Biggest Loser, they’re inevitably going to be disappointed. i’d bet the show inspires a lot of viewers to START dieting, but how long do these diets last?
This doesn’t surprise me a whole lot. TBL is basically a show where they put these people through the most rigid weight loss programs known to mankind to get them to lose weight ASAP. People wonder why they can’t lose 15-20 lbs a week, but they probably could lose that much if they worked out 6 hours a day and ate a strict 1200-calorie-a-day diet that was prepared for them at the ranch. They probably take diuretics or whatever so they can shed as much weight as possible for the weigh-ins. It’s all about shock value…it doesn’t really translate into real life. I’m sad that Kai regained a lot of her lost weight, but I think some of the contestants DO manage to keep most of the weight off.
When will people be over reality shows?
The fact that people are surprised that “The Biggest Loser” is not realistic shows how little is known about healthy nutrition. I had watched the show, and I had thought it was OKAY until I saw Jillian Michael’s face when the contestant lost upwards of 5 pounds that week…
The show’s true interests are like any other: to have good ratings – though in the process it perpetuates unhealthy habit such as eating disorders, a negative relationship with exercise, and more things which hurt opposed to help.
People are generally gullible, that’s what marketers, advertisers, politicians, big business and anyone else who’s looking to make a buck count on. There are a lot of people who watch that show and buy into the fast weight losses they see. It doesn’t surprise me at all that former contestants would be approached by viewers wondering why they can’t accomplish the same goals in the same amount of time. It’s unnatural and very much like those fad diets we all decry.
What happens when the show is over? Suddenly they’re back in their real lives trying to adjust to a post extreme diet life. And we all know what happens to most people after that.
This is kind of lame.
I always knew that what was presented on this show was not to be tried at home and that a person couldn’t expect to see the same results even if they hired a trainer….
Because the show’s disclaimer said something to that affect!
I mean gosh, even the commercials for Cancer Treatment Center’s of America that feature cancer survivors say “no results are typical, you results may be different”. That doesn’t make them a fraud.
I always figured that the show was time lapsed or the contestants were under special supervision and under special instructions to get a certain result for the show and I shouldn’t try to copy them.
Anybody that seriously thought different shouldn’t be allowed to operate a motor vehicle or vote!
I’m not really seeing a fault with NBC, but then again I have common sense.
Wow, a cheezy reality show that tries to distort the facts and only show things to boost ratings. Tell me it aint so. These show producers are always truthful and care about the wellbeing of the people on the show. I am so disappointed. (end sarcasm) Also if people stopped watching TV and exercised more, they wouldnt need stupid shows like this.