Biggest Loser Finale...what is going on??

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Replies

  • littlebutlean
    littlebutlean Posts: 2,159 Member
    Uhhh, the prize is a quarter of a million dollars. I would do a hell of a lot worse than be hungry for 30 days for that much money. Does anyone know she wasnt under strict Dr. supervision and proper supplementation with vitamins and minerals? Think about what you can do with a quarter of a cool crisp million, straight cash.


    P.S. Oh, $250,000.00 ..
  • jcanen57
    jcanen57 Posts: 10 Member
    She also won a car! Congratulations to Rachel. Jillian Michaels only weighs 5 or ten lbs more than Rachel. I thought Bobby looked too thin as well. But the show's point is to win, and too loose the most.
    I thought all the contestants did a good job of weight loss.
  • jcanen57
    jcanen57 Posts: 10 Member
    Uhhh, the prize is a quarter of a million dollars. I would do a hell of a lot worse than be hungry for 30 days for that much money. Does anyone know she wasnt under strict Dr. supervision and proper supplementation with vitamins and minerals? Think about what you can do with a quarter of a cool crisp million, straight cash.


    P.S. Oh, $250,000.00 ..

    I would love to have the money...and the car...and she will be a spokes model for the show, I think everyone is over reacting....she feels great! She's happy, and I am happy for her.
  • krennie8
    krennie8 Posts: 301 Member
    she did not look healthy. I blame the producers and her trainer if he knew how small she was getting. She could have been 117 and won. I generally like the positive message this show sends (except the stupid season with Conda who annoyed the heck out of me), but this was terrible. This should NOT have been allowed to happen.
  • DjinnMarie
    DjinnMarie Posts: 1,297 Member
    Her BMI is 18 .... anything below 18.5% is considered underweight for her size.
    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm

    I am not about skinny shaming. I agree we all come in different shapes and sizes but I just think that she went from one extreme to another. From being overweight to underweight. I don't know if she simply did it for the money and plans on gaining the weight back, I don't know her personally so I cannot say that.

    What I hope happens, after the sheer shock of her intense weight loss, Biggest Loser re-thinks its position. It should be all about healthy weight loss. So there should be a line that cannot get crossed. They should sit down with each of the contestants and a dr and determine what the lowest HEALTHY weight is for that person and put in their contracts that if they go below that line, they are disqualified.

    Lets remember, this is supposed to motivate people to start their journey, not to promote unhealthy weight loss.

    All in all, I really would rather watch Chris Powell and his wife on his show because its a one on one thing and that person's health is the priority! That is how it should be.

    Suddenly BMI charts are accurate because we are talking about a skinny woman?

    I guess anybody with a BMI of 25.5 deserves ridicule and has an eating disorder as well.

    BMI charts are used for people of ALL sizes. I am not using it strictly because she is skinny. I am overweight and I know it and I am working on correcting that. My dr sat me down and showed me where I personally was on the BMI chart so no, I am NOT saying it simply because she is skinny, as I said, she went from one extreme to another. Unhealthy overweight and Unhealthy underweight. Also, as I said, who is to say she wont gain some back to look better and be healthy and just did the drastic and unhealthy weight loss for the money. We do not know but it does set a very poor example.

    Sorry, but I don't see how somebody finishing their weight loss journey sets a poor example.

    Well, if you are comfortable watching someone win a prize for being at an unhealthy size, that is up to you. As I said, even Bob and Jillian had a look of pure and honest concern on their faces when she walked out.

    Let me be clear, I am not jealous, I am not envious, I am not hating on skinny people. I am just saying it is a concern when we see someone looking as unhealthy as she does, and underweight that we give her a prize and say "job well done, better too skinny then too fat"

    Everybody's reaction, including yours, to a woman who may or may not be a FEW pounds under weight is what's shocking. You would've thought she came out looking like a holocaust survivor. She is not "clearly unhealthy" anymore than a person with a FEW extra pounds is clearly unhealthy.

    How about I go around making rash judgements and assumptions about people who don't fit into a size 6 or below jeans. It seems people are less shocked at the sight of a morbidly obese woman than a woman who may be 1-2 lbs under weight. Truth is Rachel is closer to a "healthy" weight than 70% of Americans and maybe people really are just used to seeing their own fat.
  • littlebutlean
    littlebutlean Posts: 2,159 Member
    I would love to have the money...and the car...and she will be a spokes model for the show, I think everyone is over reacting....she feels great! She's happy, and I am happy for her.

    True story! People are so overdramatic. We've all dieted and know what it's like to be hungry, its REALLY not that bad. She did what needed to be done for 30 days to win a quarter of a million dollars, a new car and probably absurds amounts of money post show. It would take me working full 8 1/2 hour days, real hard work for the next 5-6+ years for that kind of money. I'm pretty sure being hungry for 30 days is about one of the easiest $%&%#@ I could come up with for that amount of cash.
  • Doctorpurple
    Doctorpurple Posts: 507 Member
    Her BMI is 18 .... anything below 18.5% is considered underweight for her size.
    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm

    I am not about skinny shaming. I agree we all come in different shapes and sizes but I just think that she went from one extreme to another. From being overweight to underweight. I don't know if she simply did it for the money and plans on gaining the weight back, I don't know her personally so I cannot say that.

    What I hope happens, after the sheer shock of her intense weight loss, Biggest Loser re-thinks its position. It should be all about healthy weight loss. So there should be a line that cannot get crossed. They should sit down with each of the contestants and a dr and determine what the lowest HEALTHY weight is for that person and put in their contracts that if they go below that line, they are disqualified.

    Lets remember, this is supposed to motivate people to start their journey, not to promote unhealthy weight loss.

    All in all, I really would rather watch Chris Powell and his wife on his show because its a one on one thing and that person's health is the priority! That is how it should be.

    Suddenly BMI charts are accurate because we are talking about a skinny woman?

    I guess anybody with a BMI of 25.5 deserves ridicule and has an eating disorder as well.

    BMI charts are used for people of ALL sizes. I am not using it strictly because she is skinny. I am overweight and I know it and I am working on correcting that. My dr sat me down and showed me where I personally was on the BMI chart so no, I am NOT saying it simply because she is skinny, as I said, she went from one extreme to another. Unhealthy overweight and Unhealthy underweight. Also, as I said, who is to say she wont gain some back to look better and be healthy and just did the drastic and unhealthy weight loss for the money. We do not know but it does set a very poor example.

    Sorry, but I don't see how somebody finishing their weight loss journey sets a poor example.

    Well, if you are comfortable watching someone win a prize for being at an unhealthy size, that is up to you. As I said, even Bob and Jillian had a look of pure and honest concern on their faces when she walked out.

    Let me be clear, I am not jealous, I am not envious, I am not hating on skinny people. I am just saying it is a concern when we see someone looking as unhealthy as she does, and underweight that we give her a prize and say "job well done, better too skinny then too fat"

    Everybody's reaction, including yours, to a woman who may or may not be a FEW pounds under weight is what's shocking. You would've thought she came out looking like a holocaust survivor. She is not "clearly unhealthy" anymore than a person with a FEW extra pounds is clearly unhealthy.

    How about I go around making rash judgements and assumptions about people who don't fit into a size 6 or below jeans. It seems people are less shocked at the sight of a morbidly obese woman than a woman who may be 1-2 lbs under weight. Truth is Rachel is closer to a "healthy" weight than 70% of Americans and maybe people really are just used to seeing their own fat.

    Judging from your comments, it seems like you didn't really followed the show so I'm not sure why you are spending so much time being all defensive about your own weight when we are talking about the BL winner. You are right that the BMI is only a guideline and each persons weight should be viewed individually to deem them healthy or unhealthy. I can tell you for a a fact that in Rachel's case, she is unhealthy. Rachel looked sick during the finale. Also in case you don't know, being an slightly underweight is much more unhealthy than being slightly overweight. There's a lot of leniency upwards but not going downwards. Serious medical issues don't start becoming a problem usually unless someone's BMI is well above 30. Even then, the damage to someone's health usually takes years or decades before increase in mortality. But people with BMI lower than 17.5 can have serious health implications in just a short period of time.
  • funnygrrl
    funnygrrl Posts: 170 Member
    im highly concerned about what Rachel looks like now. While I think it's great she lost the weight, I think it's just a bit too much, and it was startling, almost disturbing to see her come out... i think part of the problem with this show is it promotes weight loss, and doesn't factor in the importance of gaining muscle through this process. i mean, Tanya probably would have been better off overall, if they did this based on body fat, not the actual number of pounds lost, since she has gotten stronger since on the ranch. the other issue i have with this show is where do these competitors go from here... they are used to the ranch, they have some tools to be healthy, but they have to transition back to home. are they ready? do they have the tools necessary so they don't suddenly balloon up again, which can shock their system...?
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Most doctors would not consider a BMI around 18 to be unhealthy for a small framed healthy person. They eat a meal and suddenly they are at 18.5.

    But, I agree that Rachel looks very thin for her frame.
  • martinytime
    martinytime Posts: 41 Member
    Was shocking! Bob and Jillian were gasping when they saw Rachel....she looked anorexic and her arms lost muscle. Very sad. Some of the other plyers looked phenomonal though, Marie and Tumi. :)
  • tb_lawkid13
    tb_lawkid13 Posts: 29 Member
    I just watched the Finale. Many opinions on this thread...interesting.
    I'll refrain from commenting because i don't want to be attacked.
    I'll just drop this link and keep it moving: http://www.burnthefatinnercircle.com/public/614.cfm

    Not healthy. Not by any stretch.
    That being said, I've gone on McDonalds' benders for free...I'm pretty sure I would starve for $250K.
    The biggest problem is that the show proports to be about UNhealthy people getting healthy. The trainers say it EVERY episode. As long as money is a motivator w/weight loss being the measurement, contestants will continue to throw that healthy thing out the window to win.

    Also this: http://healthyeater.com/biggest-loser-then-now
    Post show weight gain is real.
  • DjinnMarie
    DjinnMarie Posts: 1,297 Member
    Her BMI is 18 .... anything below 18.5% is considered underweight for her size.
    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm

    I am not about skinny shaming. I agree we all come in different shapes and sizes but I just think that she went from one extreme to another. From being overweight to underweight. I don't know if she simply did it for the money and plans on gaining the weight back, I don't know her personally so I cannot say that.

    What I hope happens, after the sheer shock of her intense weight loss, Biggest Loser re-thinks its position. It should be all about healthy weight loss. So there should be a line that cannot get crossed. They should sit down with each of the contestants and a dr and determine what the lowest HEALTHY weight is for that person and put in their contracts that if they go below that line, they are disqualified.

    Lets remember, this is supposed to motivate people to start their journey, not to promote unhealthy weight loss.

    All in all, I really would rather watch Chris Powell and his wife on his show because its a one on one thing and that person's health is the priority! That is how it should be.

    Suddenly BMI charts are accurate because we are talking about a skinny woman?

    I guess anybody with a BMI of 25.5 deserves ridicule and has an eating disorder as well.

    BMI charts are used for people of ALL sizes. I am not using it strictly because she is skinny. I am overweight and I know it and I am working on correcting that. My dr sat me down and showed me where I personally was on the BMI chart so no, I am NOT saying it simply because she is skinny, as I said, she went from one extreme to another. Unhealthy overweight and Unhealthy underweight. Also, as I said, who is to say she wont gain some back to look better and be healthy and just did the drastic and unhealthy weight loss for the money. We do not know but it does set a very poor example.

    Sorry, but I don't see how somebody finishing their weight loss journey sets a poor example.

    Well, if you are comfortable watching someone win a prize for being at an unhealthy size, that is up to you. As I said, even Bob and Jillian had a look of pure and honest concern on their faces when she walked out.

    Let me be clear, I am not jealous, I am not envious, I am not hating on skinny people. I am just saying it is a concern when we see someone looking as unhealthy as she does, and underweight that we give her a prize and say "job well done, better too skinny then too fat"

    Everybody's reaction, including yours, to a woman who may or may not be a FEW pounds under weight is what's shocking. You would've thought she came out looking like a holocaust survivor. She is not "clearly unhealthy" anymore than a person with a FEW extra pounds is clearly unhealthy.

    How about I go around making rash judgements and assumptions about people who don't fit into a size 6 or below jeans. It seems people are less shocked at the sight of a morbidly obese woman than a woman who may be 1-2 lbs under weight. Truth is Rachel is closer to a "healthy" weight than 70% of Americans and maybe people really are just used to seeing their own fat.

    Judging from your comments, it seems like you didn't really followed the show so I'm not sure why you are spending so much time being all defensive about your own weight when we are talking about the BL winner. You are right that the BMI is only a guideline and each persons weight should be viewed individually to deem them healthy or unhealthy. I can tell you for a a fact that in Rachel's case, she is unhealthy. Rachel looked sick during the finale. Also in case you don't know, being an slightly underweight is much more unhealthy than being slightly overweight. There's a lot of leniency upwards but not going downwards. Serious medical issues don't start becoming a problem usually unless someone's BMI is well above 30. Even then, the damage to someone's health usually takes years or decades before increase in mortality. But people with BMI lower than 17.5 can have serious health implications in just a short period of time.

    Humor me and tell me how you "know for a fact" that Rachel is unhealthy?
  • sami_83
    sami_83 Posts: 161
    Okay, I haven't read every page of this conversation so I am not sure if it's been mentioned yet but can we please stop calling Rachel 'anorexic'? Anorexia Nervosa is an actual mental illness (in fact it has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness) and to just sort of throw that label at someone because they're skinny is a bit out of line. There is no shame in having a mentall illness but it trivialises the issue for those who do have it when you lob that claim at anyone who fits a perceived physical mould.

    Frankly she probably did what she had to do to win the prize (I probably would do the same if I was in her position). She may, now that it's over, gain some weight. We don't know. It's possibly temporary. Or perhaps she prefers to be at that weight now. Either way it's her body and her business. If she is legitimately ill then that is between her and her doctor, not the general public.
  • time4me2change14
    time4me2change14 Posts: 16 Member
    Even her own trainer Dolvett states she is still on her journey to being HEALTHY! She has not achieved that yet.
    I am not trying to personally attack people based upon them merely being skinny. Even though it seems SOME people think I am doing that. I am just saying, looking at her, seeing the reaction of the trainers and other contestants and even the host of the show said it all! They were all shocked, and not in a good way either.

    Yes, BMI is just a guideline. Yes we all have different bone structures. The fact still remains, she did go UNDERWEIGHT ... which as another person stated is actually more dangerous than having a BMI between 25-30 because the body shuts down at a rapid speed.

    All I can hope is that this was done just for the show and there is an update with her looking more healthy, not so sickly.
  • Doctorpurple
    Doctorpurple Posts: 507 Member
    Her BMI is 18 .... anything below 18.5% is considered underweight for her size.
    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm

    I am not about skinny shaming. I agree we all come in different shapes and sizes but I just think that she went from one extreme to another. From being overweight to underweight. I don't know if she simply did it for the money and plans on gaining the weight back, I don't know her personally so I cannot say that.

    What I hope happens, after the sheer shock of her intense weight loss, Biggest Loser re-thinks its position. It should be all about healthy weight loss. So there should be a line that cannot get crossed. They should sit down with each of the contestants and a dr and determine what the lowest HEALTHY weight is for that person and put in their contracts that if they go below that line, they are disqualified.

    Lets remember, this is supposed to motivate people to start their journey, not to promote unhealthy weight loss.

    All in all, I really would rather watch Chris Powell and his wife on his show because its a one on one thing and that person's health is the priority! That is how it should be.

    Suddenly BMI charts are accurate because we are talking about a skinny woman?

    I guess anybody with a BMI of 25.5 deserves ridicule and has an eating disorder as well.

    BMI charts are used for people of ALL sizes. I am not using it strictly because she is skinny. I am overweight and I know it and I am working on correcting that. My dr sat me down and showed me where I personally was on the BMI chart so no, I am NOT saying it simply because she is skinny, as I said, she went from one extreme to another. Unhealthy overweight and Unhealthy underweight. Also, as I said, who is to say she wont gain some back to look better and be healthy and just did the drastic and unhealthy weight loss for the money. We do not know but it does set a very poor example.

    Sorry, but I don't see how somebody finishing their weight loss journey sets a poor example.

    Well, if you are comfortable watching someone win a prize for being at an unhealthy size, that is up to you. As I said, even Bob and Jillian had a look of pure and honest concern on their faces when she walked out.

    Let me be clear, I am not jealous, I am not envious, I am not hating on skinny people. I am just saying it is a concern when we see someone looking as unhealthy as she does, and underweight that we give her a prize and say "job well done, better too skinny then too fat"

    Everybody's reaction, including yours, to a woman who may or may not be a FEW pounds under weight is what's shocking. You would've thought she came out looking like a holocaust survivor. She is not "clearly unhealthy" anymore than a person with a FEW extra pounds is clearly unhealthy.

    How about I go around making rash judgements and assumptions about people who don't fit into a size 6 or below jeans. It seems people are less shocked at the sight of a morbidly obese woman than a woman who may be 1-2 lbs under weight. Truth is Rachel is closer to a "healthy" weight than 70% of Americans and maybe people really are just used to seeing their own fat.

    Judging from your comments, it seems like you didn't really followed the show so I'm not sure why you are spending so much time being all defensive about your own weight when we are talking about the BL winner. You are right that the BMI is only a guideline and each persons weight should be viewed individually to deem them healthy or unhealthy. I can tell you for a a fact that in Rachel's case, she is unhealthy. Rachel looked sick during the finale. Also in case you don't know, being an slightly underweight is much more unhealthy than being slightly overweight. There's a lot of leniency upwards but not going downwards. Serious medical issues don't start becoming a problem usually unless someone's BMI is well above 30. Even then, the damage to someone's health usually takes years or decades before increase in mortality. But people with BMI lower than 17.5 can have serious health implications in just a short period of time.

    Humor me and tell me how you "know for a fact" that Rachel is unhealthy?




    Rachel is a very athletic woman even being overweight. On the finale, she was so weak and probably dehydrated that she tripped and had barely any energy to get up. Her mental status was so off that she didn't even realize she won until a few seconds after. Although that could be all part of extreme excitement because of the contest as well.
  • Dewymorning
    Dewymorning Posts: 762 Member
    From Jillian's facebook page:

    So here it is.

    Bob and I want to take a moment to congratulate all of the BL contestants on their hard work. We're not comfortable commenting on Rachel’s journey because weren't her trainers and weren't given an opportunity to work with her at any point. Any questions about the contestants on the Biggest Loser should be directed to the show’s producers.

    Bob had the same thing on his. Word for word. Well, except his said Jillian and I... obviously.

    I find the wording of that statement very telling.

    It sounds like they are trying to distance themselves from her final results, without actually coming out and saying that they think she took it too far.
  • I'm pretty sure the show is to blame if anyone develops an eating disorder on there. Just look how the contestants are treated.
  • Doctorpurple
    Doctorpurple Posts: 507 Member
    Her BMI is 18 .... anything below 18.5% is considered underweight for her size.
    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm

    I am not about skinny shaming. I agree we all come in different shapes and sizes but I just think that she went from one extreme to another. From being overweight to underweight. I don't know if she simply did it for the money and plans on gaining the weight back, I don't know her personally so I cannot say that.

    What I hope happens, after the sheer shock of her intense weight loss, Biggest Loser re-thinks its position. It should be all about healthy weight loss. So there should be a line that cannot get crossed. They should sit down with each of the contestants and a dr and determine what the lowest HEALTHY weight is for that person and put in their contracts that if they go below that line, they are disqualified.

    Lets remember, this is supposed to motivate people to start their journey, not to promote unhealthy weight loss.

    All in all, I really would rather watch Chris Powell and his wife on his show because its a one on one thing and that person's health is the priority! That is how it should be.

    Suddenly BMI charts are accurate because we are talking about a skinny woman?

    I guess anybody with a BMI of 25.5 deserves ridicule and has an eating disorder as well.

    BMI charts are used for people of ALL sizes. I am not using it strictly because she is skinny. I am overweight and I know it and I am working on correcting that. My dr sat me down and showed me where I personally was on the BMI chart so no, I am NOT saying it simply because she is skinny, as I said, she went from one extreme to another. Unhealthy overweight and Unhealthy underweight. Also, as I said, who is to say she wont gain some back to look better and be healthy and just did the drastic and unhealthy weight loss for the money. We do not know but it does set a very poor example.

    Sorry, but I don't see how somebody finishing their weight loss journey sets a poor example.

    Well, if you are comfortable watching someone win a prize for being at an unhealthy size, that is up to you. As I said, even Bob and Jillian had a look of pure and honest concern on their faces when she walked out.

    Let me be clear, I am not jealous, I am not envious, I am not hating on skinny people. I am just saying it is a concern when we see someone looking as unhealthy as she does, and underweight that we give her a prize and say "job well done, better too skinny then too fat"

    Everybody's reaction, including yours, to a woman who may or may not be a FEW pounds under weight is what's shocking. You would've thought she came out looking like a holocaust survivor. She is not "clearly unhealthy" anymore than a person with a FEW extra pounds is clearly unhealthy.

    How about I go around making rash judgements and assumptions about people who don't fit into a size 6 or below jeans. It seems people are less shocked at the sight of a morbidly obese woman than a woman who may be 1-2 lbs under weight. Truth is Rachel is closer to a "healthy" weight than 70% of Americans and maybe people really are just used to seeing their own fat.

    Judging from your comments, it seems like you didn't really followed the show so I'm not sure why you are spending so much time being all defensive about your own weight when we are talking about the BL winner. You are right that the BMI is only a guideline and each persons weight should be viewed individually to deem them healthy or unhealthy. I can tell you for a a fact that in Rachel's case, she is unhealthy. Rachel looked sick during the finale. Also in case you don't know, being an slightly underweight is much more unhealthy than being slightly overweight. There's a lot of leniency upwards but not going downwards. Serious medical issues don't start becoming a problem usually unless someone's BMI is well above 30. Even then, the damage to someone's health usually takes years or decades before increase in mortality. But people with BMI lower than 17.5 can have serious health implications in just a short period of time.

    Humor me and tell me how you "know for a fact" that Rachel is unhealthy?

    Your condescending comments doesn't help your case. Stop defending your own lifestyle and weight to complete strangers in MFP. Each of your response scream insecurity. You may be physically healthy, maybe you can consider evaluating if you are mentally healthy.
  • carolina822
    carolina822 Posts: 155 Member



    Rachel is a very athletic woman even being overweight. On the finale, she was so weak and probably dehydrated that she tripped and had barely any energy to get up. Her mental status was so off that she didn't even realize she won until a few seconds after. Although that could be all part of extreme excitement because of the contest as well.

    I tripped over my cat this morning. Does that mean that I am "for a fact" weak and unhealthy?
  • sdfkjsadglkj11
    sdfkjsadglkj11 Posts: 211 Member
    The winner was borderline anorexic. Very gaunt. When she tripped on the stairs I thought she would snap in half.
  • Doctorpurple
    Doctorpurple Posts: 507 Member



    Rachel is a very athletic woman even being overweight. On the finale, she was so weak and probably dehydrated that she tripped and had barely any energy to get up. Her mental status was so off that she didn't even realize she won until a few seconds after. Although that could be all part of extreme excitement because of the contest as well.

    I tripped over my cat this morning. Does that mean that I am "for a fact" weak and unhealthy?

    Really? This question just makes me laugh. Thanks for that
  • DjinnMarie
    DjinnMarie Posts: 1,297 Member
    Her BMI is 18 .... anything below 18.5% is considered underweight for her size.
    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm

    I am not about skinny shaming. I agree we all come in different shapes and sizes but I just think that she went from one extreme to another. From being overweight to underweight. I don't know if she simply did it for the money and plans on gaining the weight back, I don't know her personally so I cannot say that.

    What I hope happens, after the sheer shock of her intense weight loss, Biggest Loser re-thinks its position. It should be all about healthy weight loss. So there should be a line that cannot get crossed. They should sit down with each of the contestants and a dr and determine what the lowest HEALTHY weight is for that person and put in their contracts that if they go below that line, they are disqualified.

    Lets remember, this is supposed to motivate people to start their journey, not to promote unhealthy weight loss.

    All in all, I really would rather watch Chris Powell and his wife on his show because its a one on one thing and that person's health is the priority! That is how it should be.

    Suddenly BMI charts are accurate because we are talking about a skinny woman?

    I guess anybody with a BMI of 25.5 deserves ridicule and has an eating disorder as well.

    BMI charts are used for people of ALL sizes. I am not using it strictly because she is skinny. I am overweight and I know it and I am working on correcting that. My dr sat me down and showed me where I personally was on the BMI chart so no, I am NOT saying it simply because she is skinny, as I said, she went from one extreme to another. Unhealthy overweight and Unhealthy underweight. Also, as I said, who is to say she wont gain some back to look better and be healthy and just did the drastic and unhealthy weight loss for the money. We do not know but it does set a very poor example.

    Sorry, but I don't see how somebody finishing their weight loss journey sets a poor example.

    Well, if you are comfortable watching someone win a prize for being at an unhealthy size, that is up to you. As I said, even Bob and Jillian had a look of pure and honest concern on their faces when she walked out.

    Let me be clear, I am not jealous, I am not envious, I am not hating on skinny people. I am just saying it is a concern when we see someone looking as unhealthy as she does, and underweight that we give her a prize and say "job well done, better too skinny then too fat"

    Everybody's reaction, including yours, to a woman who may or may not be a FEW pounds under weight is what's shocking. You would've thought she came out looking like a holocaust survivor. She is not "clearly unhealthy" anymore than a person with a FEW extra pounds is clearly unhealthy.

    How about I go around making rash judgements and assumptions about people who don't fit into a size 6 or below jeans. It seems people are less shocked at the sight of a morbidly obese woman than a woman who may be 1-2 lbs under weight. Truth is Rachel is closer to a "healthy" weight than 70% of Americans and maybe people really are just used to seeing their own fat.

    Judging from your comments, it seems like you didn't really followed the show so I'm not sure why you are spending so much time being all defensive about your own weight when we are talking about the BL winner. You are right that the BMI is only a guideline and each persons weight should be viewed individually to deem them healthy or unhealthy. I can tell you for a a fact that in Rachel's case, she is unhealthy. Rachel looked sick during the finale. Also in case you don't know, being an slightly underweight is much more unhealthy than being slightly overweight. There's a lot of leniency upwards but not going downwards. Serious medical issues don't start becoming a problem usually unless someone's BMI is well above 30. Even then, the damage to someone's health usually takes years or decades before increase in mortality. But people with BMI lower than 17.5 can have serious health implications in just a short period of time.

    Humor me and tell me how you "know for a fact" that Rachel is unhealthy?

    Your condescending comments doesn't help your case. Stop defending your own lifestyle and weight to complete strangers in MFP. Each of your response scream insecurity. You may be physically healthy, maybe you can consider evaluating if you are mentally healthy.

    Ooh burn. Personal attacks because you can't answer a question? Who is the insecure one again?
  • carolina822
    carolina822 Posts: 155 Member



    Rachel is a very athletic woman even being overweight. On the finale, she was so weak and probably dehydrated that she tripped and had barely any energy to get up. Her mental status was so off that she didn't even realize she won until a few seconds after. Although that could be all part of extreme excitement because of the contest as well.

    I tripped over my cat this morning. Does that mean that I am "for a fact" weak and unhealthy?

    Really? This question just makes me laugh. Thanks for that

    Mission accomplished. :)

    My point, really though, is that (as I mentioned upthread) we don't know anything for a fact based on how someone looks on tv at a given point in time. People cut weight short term for all sorts of reasons, and while it may not be ideal health-wise, it's not a death sentence either. Is it a good example? Probably not, but then, neither is pretty much anything on The Biggest Loser. Aside from the whole premise of the show, they've had some real a-holes on over the years that manage to stick around like cockroaches.
  • DjinnMarie
    DjinnMarie Posts: 1,297 Member
    Her BMI is 18 .... anything below 18.5% is considered underweight for her size.
    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm

    I am not about skinny shaming. I agree we all come in different shapes and sizes but I just think that she went from one extreme to another. From being overweight to underweight. I don't know if she simply did it for the money and plans on gaining the weight back, I don't know her personally so I cannot say that.

    What I hope happens, after the sheer shock of her intense weight loss, Biggest Loser re-thinks its position. It should be all about healthy weight loss. So there should be a line that cannot get crossed. They should sit down with each of the contestants and a dr and determine what the lowest HEALTHY weight is for that person and put in their contracts that if they go below that line, they are disqualified.

    Lets remember, this is supposed to motivate people to start their journey, not to promote unhealthy weight loss.

    All in all, I really would rather watch Chris Powell and his wife on his show because its a one on one thing and that person's health is the priority! That is how it should be.

    Suddenly BMI charts are accurate because we are talking about a skinny woman?

    I guess anybody with a BMI of 25.5 deserves ridicule and has an eating disorder as well.

    BMI charts are used for people of ALL sizes. I am not using it strictly because she is skinny. I am overweight and I know it and I am working on correcting that. My dr sat me down and showed me where I personally was on the BMI chart so no, I am NOT saying it simply because she is skinny, as I said, she went from one extreme to another. Unhealthy overweight and Unhealthy underweight. Also, as I said, who is to say she wont gain some back to look better and be healthy and just did the drastic and unhealthy weight loss for the money. We do not know but it does set a very poor example.

    Sorry, but I don't see how somebody finishing their weight loss journey sets a poor example.

    Well, if you are comfortable watching someone win a prize for being at an unhealthy size, that is up to you. As I said, even Bob and Jillian had a look of pure and honest concern on their faces when she walked out.

    Let me be clear, I am not jealous, I am not envious, I am not hating on skinny people. I am just saying it is a concern when we see someone looking as unhealthy as she does, and underweight that we give her a prize and say "job well done, better too skinny then too fat"

    Everybody's reaction, including yours, to a woman who may or may not be a FEW pounds under weight is what's shocking. You would've thought she came out looking like a holocaust survivor. She is not "clearly unhealthy" anymore than a person with a FEW extra pounds is clearly unhealthy.

    How about I go around making rash judgements and assumptions about people who don't fit into a size 6 or below jeans. It seems people are less shocked at the sight of a morbidly obese woman than a woman who may be 1-2 lbs under weight. Truth is Rachel is closer to a "healthy" weight than 70% of Americans and maybe people really are just used to seeing their own fat.

    She tripped on a stair she didn't notice beside her. Suddenly she doesn't have the energy to get or the mental capacity to know she won quick enough for you? Damn, you divined all of that from a stumble? You sure you aren't projecting, just a little?
  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
    I am willing to bet that the reason she looked so sunken-in and wrinkled around the face, etc...might be due to dehydration. I have no inside info, but I would bet that she dehydrated herself, similar to what people do before fitness competitions. As others have said earlier, many women her age are the same weight and have a similar build...and don't look sunken in like she did on stage. But at that weight and height, I think any woman likely would look sunken in if dehydrated. Unfortunately, the short-term water weight change due to hydration status doesn't really amount to much...maybe a pound or two, maybe 3-4. So it's not really worth it if that's indeed what she did.

    Again, just speculation...but that's what it appeared to be (looking at low quality internet pics as posted in this thread).

    That said, I would like to know her current fully hydrated bone, muscle and organ weight now, versus 3 months ago when she was 150 lbs and 19% b.f. (assuming that was accurate). There is a chance (albeit a slim one) that she kept all of her muscle and organ mass and only lost water/glycogen, etc (40+ lbs of it?!). If that's the case, and if what we're seeing is dhydration-induced, then my only remaining issue would be the speed of the loss. But somehow, this doesn't seem to be the case.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Yeah, I don't want to say anything insulting. I am 5'2" and weigh around 103 at the moment (this is within the healthy BMI range). But, I am a very small person. I look young and plumped with health. I'm 35 and still get carded for people thinking I'm 18.

    So, it's not about the numbers on their own, but how they look on the person. I do not look as thin as she does (in the face, arms, even the knees). I'm not trying to be insulting. This is just my opinion that she doesn't look healthy to me. Just being honest. I can tell by looking at her that I have a smaller bone structure and she is thinner than me.

    This is stuff that I wonder about and think about. Why do some people look unhealthy and thin at a weight that looks radiant with health for another person. We just can't apply numbers universally.
  • EGirl7
    EGirl7 Posts: 39 Member
    I thought she looked very thin, but I'm in Australia and haven't watched the show, so I'm going on photos.

    Just wanted to say that a few years back here, a guy won and basically the response was akin to those faces on Bob and Jillian. People were aghast. This is him here:

    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_p8Z0UVjtsxc/RjUalMU8OlI/AAAAAAAAAOo/AtzhhOKoJio/s400/chris.jpg

    Anyway, he wasn't spoken of by TBL here ever again.

    Re Rachel, I reckon she could well have been dehydrated, based solely on my own experience of that a couple of weeks ago. I was hallucinating and couldn't walk very well! So, that sounds feasible to me. :-)
  • CLD79
    CLD79 Posts: 53 Member
    One thing I was thinking about today watching the clips from last night is did TBL actually give her real weight at the final weigh in? Those numbers bounce all over the place and I am sure a weigh in probably took place earlier in the day. Do you think that she could actually weigh less than 105 and TBL is covering itself by only saying her weight is slightly under the healthy range? Afterall, she would win also if she weighed 85 pounds just like she would have won weighing 115 (not by any means saying she DOES weigh 85 pounds, just saying to make a point). I already know I am going to get a lot of hateful responses here, call me a conspiracy theorist, I don't care. I am just saying what if and do you think TBL would do that?
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Stupid show its never been about health
  • ModernNerd
    ModernNerd Posts: 336 Member
    The winner was borderline anorexic. Very gaunt. When she tripped on the stairs I thought she would snap in half.

    Oh please don't say that...

    I've heard the "can't hug/touch/look at you, you'll break" comment in the past while being at a healthy weight more times than I care to remember. And I can say from personal experience, it doesn't get less insulting or demeaning over time. Think before you speak, please and thank you:)