Don't let the "Biggest Loser" article be an excuse

smotheredincheese

Apparently I've been living under a rock because I hadn't heard of that article until I saw this thread. So I went and looked it up and wow.
It completely ignores the most remarkable thing about the Biggest Loser contestants weightloss - the speed with which it was achieved. It gives the impression that losing 100lbs over 3 months and losing it over 3 years is going to have the same effect on your body.
It's articles like this that make people feel like it's not worth even trying because if you're overweight obviously you're stuck that way.

jgnatca

Here's an article I like.

http://www.weightymatters.ca/

HippySkoppy

@ninerbuff Firstly thank you for posting an intelligent rebuttal to help those who are feeling discouraged about the NYT article.

One question I do have in relation to the decreased metabolism and the general doom and gloom for all who have the task of now trying to maintain their loss was there any long term follow up of that Minnesota Starvation experiment and what the long term consequences for BMR/RMR rates were in the participants?

In a way they were the first non-syndicated Biggest Losers. Maybe their numbers reflect a totally different scenario to the presented now.

TR0berts

nosajjao wrote: »

I pity the fools who buy in to reality tv crap.

You were sooooooo close. You missed a prime opportunity:

vmsolko

Orphia wrote: »

SinomenJen wrote: »

And to follow up on that thought there are contestants that DO keep the weight off! What is the difference between them?

https://healthyeater.com/biggest-loser-then-now

Thanks for that link. It looks like most of the winners have maintained a healthy weight.

Thanks too, ninerbuff.

And actually that article is at least 2 years old and isn't even accurate anymore.
#5 Ali Vincent just revealed in the last week or two that she has gained every single pound back too and is now joining Weight Watchers and Danny Cahill is the one referenced in the NYT article as gaining it all back and destroying his metabolism...
So I wonder how many really have kept it off at this point....

vegasleo79

That article also seems like propaganda to me for drug companies to say, "see, it's not about willpower/it's not your fault, here, take this new appetite suppressant/metabolism booster."

upoffthemat

SinomenJen wrote: »

And to follow up on that thought there are contestants that DO keep the weight off! What is the difference between them?

https://healthyeater.com/biggest-loser-then-now

That is an old article. Danny Cahill is one of the main subjects of the recent article. Ali VIncent was just in the news in another article and is now using weight watchers.

Larissa_NY

This is a lesson in why, for every study you see reported in the media, you should ask yourself who the sample was and if you can really generalize from that sample to the rest of the population.

The study is interesting and valuable and I'll be watching for the follow-up research, but as things stand, the only thing it tells us is "Being on The Biggest Loser and losing weight like an idiot will screw up your metabolism, possibly for life." When you study extreme populations, you get extreme results. Some of those results scale down to the rest of us, and some don't.

Remember this the next time you see a study that says "X percent of people believe Y." X percent of who, exactly? How was the question framed? How many people did they actually ask? These are important things to know, rather than just taking results reported in the media at face value.

BiggDaddy58

I haven't given it a lot of thought, but I think sometimes, people who are really overweight (morbid obese) and I was one, want to see results, have to see results, thus, shows like this capture their attention, thinking this could be YOU. I have never watched the show, but I went to the Dr in Jan and was 307.6 #..he sd I was now in the diabetic range ..I told him to give me time to see if I could take off weight. Feb came and went. I tried and I quit. I weighed myself on Feb 29th and was 308#. I realized I am 57 years old and this may be my last chance to get ahold of this..lose weight and get in shape. I knew I HAD to see results, not 5 pounds in a month, but drastic results. I did some research, found this website, put myself on a 1200 calorie a day diet (I now do between 1200-1400) and started riding stationary bike. I now do 68-75 minutes a day on the bike and my last weigh in was 269.4 I met with my Dr on April 28th and he was amazed. I had normal tests result, instead of being diabetic or in that danger zone. I know, and Doc and I talked, that I will need to up my calories to perhaps 1800 and maintain exercise, perhaps adding strength training (I do a few sets of lite weights in the a.m. now as well as the bike.

I think really overweight people can get sucked into this biggest loser show, thinking it's real and they can drop all this weight, this fast, when it is unhealthy and they don't have someone ridin their butt to exercise and maintain strict control, so, they fail, weight comes back on, they give up cuz it is hard. I am hoping I will drop 100 pounds and be able to keep it off, but I know, this has to be a lifestyle change, not just a diet..or a time period.. where you lose the weight and then.. Boom.. you quit exercising, quit watching what you eat.. etc etc.. and end up back where you started.

MissusMoon

BiggDaddy58 wrote: »

I haven't given it a lot of thought, but I think sometimes, people who are really overweight (morbid obese) and I was one, want to see results, have to see results, thus, shows like this capture their attention, thinking this could be YOU. I have never watched the show, but I went to the Dr in Jan and was 307.6 #..he sd I was now in the diabetic range ..I told him to give me time to see if I could take off weight. Feb came and went. I tried and I quit. I weighed myself on Feb 29th and was 308#. I realized I am 57 years old and this may be my last chance to get ahold of this..lose weight and get in shape. I knew I HAD to see results, not 5 pounds in a month, but drastic results. I did some research, found this website, put myself on a 1200 calorie a day diet (I now do between 1200-1400) and started riding stationary bike. I now do 68-75 minutes a day on the bike and my last weigh in was 269.4 I met with my Dr on April 28th and he was amazed. I had normal tests result, instead of being diabetic or in that danger zone. I know, and Doc and I talked, that I will need to up my calories to perhaps 1800 and maintain exercise, perhaps adding strength training (I do a few sets of lite weights in the a.m. now as well as the bike.

I think really overweight people can get sucked into this biggest loser show, thinking it's real and they can drop all this weight, this fast, when it is unhealthy and they don't have someone ridin their butt to exercise and maintain strict control, so, they fail, weight comes back on, they give up cuz it is hard. I am hoping I will drop 100 pounds and be able to keep it off, but I know, this has to be a lifestyle change, not just a diet..or a time period.. where you lose the weight and then.. Boom.. you quit exercising, quit watching what you eat.. etc etc.. and end up back where you started.

Wonderful post. Thank you and congrats on your success so far.

Merrysix

Thank god for this thread. That article really burned me up -- the author, Gina Kolata wrote a book saying the same thing several years ago (basically you might as well give up on weight loss because you were born with a "fat" metabolism). I don't buy it, because I see so many success stories here with CICO and eating to maintain calorie macros and satiety. For me weight lifting and muscle mass, and eating the foods that keep me feeling fuller within my calorie macros really helps. Also maintenance is really hard, and I've screwed it up before, but each time I learn a little bit more about how social support, keeping my logging and weighing honest, works. And each time I do a little better. I don't think I'll ever be cured but I keep getting better and better!

ninerbuff

HippySkoppy wrote: »

@ninerbuff Firstly thank you for posting an intelligent rebuttal to help those who are feeling discouraged about the NYT article.

One question I do have in relation to the decreased metabolism and the general doom and gloom for all who have the task of now trying to maintain their loss was there any long term follow up of that Minnesota Starvation experiment and what the long term consequences for BMR/RMR rates were in the participants?

In a way they were the first non-syndicated Biggest Losers. Maybe their numbers reflect a totally different scenario to the presented now.

I have no info on that.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

SideSteel

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10384484/james-krieger-on-the-biggest-loser-study-thats-going-around#latest

ninerbuff

SideSteel wrote: »

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10384484/james-krieger-on-the-biggest-loser-study-thats-going-around#latest

Thanks for the link!

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

WakkoW

This post needs to be stickied, at least for the next few months until this dies down. The way the media is reporting this is just sickening. I watched Good Morning America yesterday and wanted to toss my television. They basically made it sound as if it was impossible to keep the weight off.

It is just terribly irresponsible.

brightresolve

Thanks so much for this - I was seriously disturbed about the implications of that article and your post, @ninerbuff, and many comments here really helped put things in perspective.

zoeysasha37

I think what it comes down to is that people love to have an excuse. If people spent as much time working on their goals as they do making excuses, then we wouldn't have such a problem. They love to be able to say " see look the news said ...." so they don't have to bother working towards something.
The people who want this , make it happen. Those who really don't want it will continue to buy into woo news articles and hang on for dear life to their excuses . you can't help someone who truly doesn't wanna be helped.
I applaud your efforts @ninerbuff as you continue to try to teach the truth .

MissusMoon

thorsmom01 wrote: »

I think what it comes down to is that people love to have an excuse. If people spent as much time working on their goals as they do making excuses, then we wouldn't have such a problem. They love to be able to say " see look the news said ...." so they don't have to bother working towards something.
The people who want this , make it happen. Those who really don't want it will continue to buy into woo news articles and hang on for dear life to their excuses . you can't help someone who truly doesn't wanna be helped.
I applaud your efforts @ninerbuff as you continue to try to teach the truth .

EVERY SINGLE WORD.

When I lost this weight before, the reason I didn't maintain was due to my neglecting to do the right thing. There were some health issues there, but if I had been controlling calories this wouldn't have happened. Period. I have no excuse for putting all the weight back on. There are reasons, and those reasons had to do with putting hand to mouth.