The Biggest Loser, the worst show on TV

sbrooks0387

A blonde woman, of medium weight, enters a gym. She sees intimidatingly thin and attractive women everywhere. So she leaves, saying, “Why does working out have to be so humiliating?” Then she goes home and works out to her Biggest Loser videogame instead. “This is more like it” she says.

Then trainer Bob weighs in, promising, “The new Biggest Loser Challenge will have you breaking right out of your shell.”

Working out in public is”humiliating?”

i am not very heavy and i do not like going to the gym. i don't like to run in public. even though i am not very heavy (even 30 lbs ago before my second son) i did not like going to the gym. i always felt i was heavier than the other there and it's not fun. i would rather take the dog for run on a seculded running path or in the park in the off season aka winter.

msaestein1

I like it, but I take different things from it that others might. I see a bunch of people working out every week that are much heavier and in poorer health than I am and it makes me feel like I have no excuse not to exercise. The show also got me onto Jillian's videos, which are such are great find to me. I'm never going to join a gym. It's not me. I will do her videos at home and become stronger as I lose weight. I usually hear Jillian say things that are positive.

I don't care if someone else thinks this is the worst show on TV and I agree with several things in the Center for Health Media & Policy quote... but it's naive to not recognize that it's a TV show... produced by a business... that might want to make a profit. If the show was put together by PBS, then the gripe would be more justified. There are far worse reality shows on TV with absolutely no redeeming qualities, IMO.

This. Especially the Jillian videos. I own 5 of them. I hate the gym and I hate working out outside. If it weren't for her and Billy Blanks, I'd be 200lbs plus.

NavyKnightAh13

There was a show awhile back that was basically a knock off of the Biggest Loser about brides trying to lose weight before their wedding (we did a media research for one of my classes) and it kinda reminded of the biggest loser.

Now, i will say that I have never watched the biggest loser for one reason: I just don't like it, while the concept may have been great, all the drama that goes with it isn't worth it. Its not the worse show out there (I am sorry to say it, but TLC has become trash tv). At any rate, most of tv nowadays is about i don't even know what, and shockingly, I keep our tv off because there is nothing good on to watch.

WendyTerry420

Since I have never seen the show, I didn't find out until after I started doing the 30 Day Shred that Jillian Michaels was on there. I keep thinking of how she was saying (in 30ds), "I have 400 pound people doing jumping jacks." I am about half that weight and I quit doing jumping jacks because it was effin up my knee joints. I substitute jogging in place and waving my arms instead. (which, granted, looks silly, but not as silly as butt-kicks and high-knees) But I can see how some people would get false impressions of what they should be doing based on hearing that some other obese person did it and Jillian yelling at you.

I still have no plans to watch that show. But that doesn't make it the *worst* show, certainly, just not one I want to see. The only "reality show" I watch are Survivor, but I don't consider that a reality show even, more like a modern game show. When I think of reality TV, I don't think of these competition-type shows, but rather, shows like "Real Housewives" and such where they just take non-actors and put them in weird social situations.

SToast

Just want to say, I love the VS fashion show and hate Biggest Loser. I'd way rather watch VS Angels walk the runway than Jillian yell at some crying overweight person. Too much drama for me.

RedHotHunter

Bumped for future reference.

odusgolp

I love you

ACG that is... just so we're clear.

TubbsMcGee

I've never watched the show, nor have I ever really had any intention of watching it.
I've heard from family members about it, and why they love it -- and I never really understood what was so great about forcing a bunch of overweight people to push themselves to working out a few hours a day and getting excited when they puke from pushing themselves so hard. None of it sounded safe or healthy to me.
It wasn't until just a few months ago that I realized that's where Jillian Michael's really got her start.
The past few weeks I've been feeling rather guilty that I own her DVD's...hence why I haven't used them in quite some time. I also found it odd that some of her moves were big no-no's according to most fitness professionals.

gazter

I don't watch the show, though I did see some of it a few times. If you are morbidly obese and willing to exercise a ton and eat sparsely you can do it yourself. Maybe not to the degree that these people do but you can lose 100 pounds in a year or more. People do it.

I have lost 113 lbs in nine months and have not involved any sparse eating...

sm1zzle

Biggest Loser is just sad beyond belief, and it just feeds into the ever-present notion that weight loss has to be a miserable 100% balls-to-the-wall-burning-2000-calories-per-workout-and-be-hungry-or-stay-fat-forever endeavor. The notions of patience, relearning a healthy relationship with food and the body, and building that new body from within are totally missing from that show. It is downright dangerous

Well, anyone who has watched the show knows that they are not pushing " balls to the wall " 2000 calorie workouts for people at home. Those workouts are designed for the contestants on the show. What the Biggest Loser DOES do is promote change in lifestyle. No one loses weight and maintains that weight loss with out changing their lifestyle, and the Biggest Loser does a great job stressing that point.

For the original poster to get on here and talk bad about those people is rather ridiculous to me. Who are you to judge what those people have gone through in their lives which led them to become that overweight. Instead of breaking them down for being obese how about celebrating the fact that they have the heart to admit they are in trouble.... and are willing to go " balls to the wall" to make that change.

NewLIFEstyle4ME

Here's something interesting-- :

'Biggest Loser': Where are they now?
Former contestants dish on how their lives have changed since the show

TODAY.com caught up with contestants and the big winners from the first 11 seasons and found out how their lives have changed since leaving the "Biggest Loser" campus.

So where are the former contestants now, and how do they look?

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40423712/ns/today-entertainment/t/biggest-loser-where-are-they-now/

Acg67

For the original poster to get on here and talk bad about those people is rather ridiculous to me. Who are you to judge what those people have gone through in their lives which led them to become that overweight. Instead of breaking them down for being obese how about celebrating the fact that they have the heart to admit they are in trouble.... and are willing to go " balls to the wall" to make that change.

Unfortunately willing to do something and actually doing something are two totally different things. If they are so willing why did they not do it before being sequestered on a ranch and why are they still obese?

And overeating leads to obesity not a tough life, overeating is controllable.

I'm all for people working to improve their health and life, but if someone is weak and lazy and will only get off their butts for a cash prize and 5min of reality tv fame, well...

duichaser

I like it, but I take different things from it that others might. I see a bunch of people working out every week that are much heavier and in poorer health than I am and it makes me feel like I have no excuse not to exercise. The show also got me onto Jillian's videos, which are such are great find to me. I'm never going to join a gym. It's not me. I will do her videos at home and become stronger as I lose weight. I usually hear Jillian say things that are positive.

I don't care if someone else thinks this is the worst show on TV and I agree with several things in the Center for Health Media & Policy quote... but it's naive to not recognize that it's a TV show... produced by a business... that might want to make a profit. If the show was put together by PBS, then the gripe would be more justified. There are far worse reality shows on TV with absolutely no redeeming qualities, IMO.

I agree with you. While the show may not be the best way for those people to finally come to their senses about weight loss, I do feel it has motivated alot of people, myself included, to work harder. I would much rather watch something like TBL than watch something with no redeeming value like Survivor, the Bachelor, or some show where they are eating maggots for a cash prize.

flatblade

I suppose the intent of "The Biggest Loser" is a good one. However, I find reality shows to be manipulative. The shows work to get us to invest in the contestants--we hear backstories and (probably exaggerated) stories about their struggles. Hey, we all have struggles. The other thing is the training regimens put forward are something that very few, if any, can duplicate at home.

I hated the show when I was fat and I haven't seen it, but I resent the premise and dislike the manipulation.

teryx123

I have not owned a TV since 1985. This is why ..................................

CJisinShape

Note - MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING FOR ABUSE, DEHUMANIZATION AND EATING DISORDERS - http://www.bodylovewellness.com/2010/06/09/kai-hibbard-biggest-loser-finalist-part-1-of-3/

Whoa... holy...

That is unreal!

Can't say I'm surprised - if they show you contestants throwing up and the trainers working them as hard as pro athletes, what aren't they showing you? I knew that show wasn't healthy or realistic.