Moral/Ethical Question

momar74
momar74 Posts: 56 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I had a couple of friends who made a bet on: which one would would loose the most weight. The looser had to shave his head. They both lost a lot of weight. For the last weigh-in, one of them, a physician, took a water pill (Lasix or furosemide) to loose water weight and subsequently won the bet. When I saw him later in the day, he definitely look dehydrated. They were neck and neck throughout the entire time up until the last one.

Did he cheat or did he use all available tools? I think he cheated as the other could not get the water pill as readily. What do others think?
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Replies

  • civvygit
    civvygit Posts: 2
    He cheated!

    If he'd taken laxative the night before you'd say he cheated.

    If he used slimming tablets for the last week you'd say he cheated.

    He took a drug, he cheated.
  • MissJenova
    MissJenova Posts: 258
    Well....I would probably consider it a low blow to do that. Not cheating, necessarily, but pretty lame that he decided to do that.
    If there were no rules against it, then I guess he's in the clear....but I'd be pretty irritated by that if I were in that position.

    Guess it's just something you've gotta let go and make sure to specify rules in any future challenges!!
  • wgn4166
    wgn4166 Posts: 771 Member
    Cheated!
  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
    Unless they specified in their bet how they could lose weight, then no, I don't think he cheated.

    On the other hand, I don't like the way he stacked the odds in his favour.
  • aquapup
    aquapup Posts: 81 Member
    It doesn't really fit the spirit of the bet does it? It sounds like it wasn't technically against the specified rules but it seems dirty to me.

    Your friend who lost weight the legit way should be happy he lost the weight and be gracious (think Taylor Swift vs Kayne West at the VMA's, Kayne may (or may not, I'm not an expert at music) have had a point, but Taylor Swift came out looking like a martyr and a victim and it was hard not to side with her) and he should just avoid bets with him in the future.

    I think most people who hear about the bet will side with your friend who played straight so he'll win points with people even if he looses his hair.
  • BCSMama
    BCSMama Posts: 348
    I agree that technically I guess it wasn't cheating if the bet was just who could loose the most weight and no rules were specified. However, I think it makes him look like a jerk and it certainly seems to go against the spirit of the competition, which I assume was to get healthier.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Unless they specified in their bet how they could lose weight, then no, I don't think he cheated.

    On the other hand, I don't like the way he stacked the odds in his favour.

    ^^^ This

    If it isn't against the rules, then it isn't cheating.
  • HelloSweetie4
    HelloSweetie4 Posts: 1,214 Member
    not sure if i would consider it cheating, but he defiantely played dirty. I think you should call a re-weigh!
  • sbwood888
    sbwood888 Posts: 953 Member
    He cheated. Bust him. :noway:
  • workijng2befit
    workijng2befit Posts: 45
    Played dirty. do another weigh in be specific that it can only be thru diet and exercise only good luck.
  • Jess207
    Jess207 Posts: 90
    A friendly bet shouldn't have to specify what can and can't be done..how was everyone supposed to come up with every possible scenario? " no laxatives, no water pills, no steam rooms!!" It is assumed when people enter into agreements that a certain moral standard will be kept. It is not fair that a doctor with access to pills, used them. He made the playing field uneven. Unless all the players have the same shot at success, how is it a contest? He cheated. He played dirty. And while he may be technically within his rights to do that, it doesn't make it right. Booo, doctor!
  • chrisyoung0422
    chrisyoung0422 Posts: 426 Member
    Being smarter is not cheating. The rules did not state that was out of the question.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    He probably didn't cheat unless it was stated no pills, but he sure is a sore loser and I wouldn't want him as my doctor
  • Laurie1267
    Laurie1267 Posts: 169 Member
    Well....I would probably consider it a low blow to do that. Not cheating, necessarily, but pretty lame that he decided to do that.
    If there were no rules against it, then I guess he's in the clear....but I'd be pretty irritated by that if I were in that position.

    Guess it's just something you've gotta let go and make sure to specify rules in any future challenges!!

    Agree ^^^^^

    Also, either may have used caffeine to lose some water weight (diuretic). Pretty low, but all's fair when no rules were made beforehand.
  • macpacman
    macpacman Posts: 64
    I don't know if he cheated since the rules weren't clear. To make it fair, let both of them get the water pills and try again.
  • miracole
    miracole Posts: 492 Member
    dirty pool, though it's a bet between friends- the "in the rules" talk makes it sound like a contract law case :P If I were the friend who didn't take the pill I'd just shave my head with good grace knowing that he played fairly. I hope he has a lot of thick hair to cut off, maybe that'll relieve him of enough weight to make him the true winner in any case!
  • dsmease7
    dsmease7 Posts: 81 Member
    He cheated & played dirty! Bust him on this! In sports they refer to this as doping. He took drugs that aren't meant for weight loss & used it to win. It's not like he took diet pills, he took prescription pills and that's a low blow.
  • rickgomez2003
    rickgomez2003 Posts: 91
    He cheated!

    If he'd taken laxative the night before you'd say he cheated.

    If he used slimming tablets for the last week you'd say he cheated.

    He took a drug, he cheated.


    I agree he cheated.
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
    For the love of God its lose

    If you are deciding who is looser, then that's really disturbing
  • veduffey
    veduffey Posts: 73
    I agree, the man cheated!!
  • kingpt11
    kingpt11 Posts: 27
    "which one would would loose the most weight" without any more terms?
    Well, if one of them had cut off one leg, would he win? ;)

    a joke:
    "Two skinflint guys made a wager on wich one of them could hold their breaths longer. They both put their heads in a bucket of water at the same time, and they both drowned."

    So... imo he cheated. because the end doesnt justify the means.
  • veduffey
    veduffey Posts: 73
    And for a Dr to get dehydrated, when he should know better is also stupid.....................
  • veduffey
    veduffey Posts: 73
    The joke about the guys drowning is really funny!
  • NikkiSmo
    NikkiSmo Posts: 180 Member
    not sure if i would consider it cheating, but he defiantely played dirty. I think you should call a re-weigh!
    Agree!
  • RenfieldX
    RenfieldX Posts: 87 Member
    The thing with bets is that the rules are exactly what you agreed them to be, not what you 'thought' they were. If nothing was said about the use of pills, etc, then your doctor friend didn't cheat. Tell your other friend to suck it up and get out the clippers. Friends don't let friends welch on bets :smokin: :bigsmile:

    Take this as a learning experience, and make sure to be specific with the rules for any future bets.
  • Lisah8969
    Lisah8969 Posts: 1,247 Member
    I just had a 12 week challenge with 14 friends of mine. $10 each, highest % of weight loss winner takes all. I know I would have considered it cheating if someone took a water pill before their final weigh in whether it was specified in the "rules" (since we didn't have any actual rules) or not. It goes against the spirit of the competition. It was not a competition to see who was smart enough to fake part of their weight loss. Lesson learned for this guy, but I would never make another bet with the cheating doctor.

    BTW, I won our challenge with 8.6% loss and have started another 12 week challenge!! I love the competition and honestly couldn't care less if I win or not. Every pound lost is a victory for me!
  • Mistyblu08
    Mistyblu08 Posts: 580 Member
    he cheated:(
  • kimg68
    kimg68 Posts: 64
    He cheated himself. If he took a water pill, whatever weight he lost from that will come back. So while he may be walking around with all his hair right now, I certainly wouldn't consider him a winner. Weight wise or morally. Congrats to the bald guy!!
  • aquapup
    aquapup Posts: 81 Member
    For the love of God its lose

    If you are deciding who is looser, then that's really disturbing

    lmao
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    This depends on what the rules of the bet. If they had a bet on weight loss, no holds barred, then it isn't cheating. But if they had set aside some rules before hand, like no steroids or HGH or something, I'd say this man cheated.

    It is pretty easy to accomplish dehydration without drugs. Competitive body builders do this just before a show, so your doctor friend didn't even need to use a prescription medication to become severely dehydrated. All he needed was some time in the sauna.

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