BIGGEST LOSER TRUTH - FROM CONTESTANT

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  • camjes05
    camjes05 Posts: 14
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    That is so horrible! My friend is on the show this season. A little worried about him now. I'm hoping that it's really not like that. I do watch the show and have learned from it.
  • daddyratty
    daddyratty Posts: 305 Member
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    Can't be as bad as she says. 11 seasons ... 15-20 contestants each time, and one disgruntled patient? You're never going to please everyone.

    I actually get a lot of motivation from the show. They have good nutrition tips, and if they were really constantly dehydrating, they'd have had some significant in-season health issues by now, not to mention lawsuit(s) out the wazoo.

    When Moses lost 41 pounds the first week, it may make people think "something's up." Yeah, something's up. Dude went from probably 8000 calories a day to 2000 max, and was working out several hours a day. Do you know how many calories are expended moving a body that size?
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    I sympathize with her for her personal torment. Though, it's probably safe to say that not seeing the show for what it is, a reality show designed for the entertainment industry, prior to going into it, is what will destroy personal lives. Not many people realize how cut-throat "the industry" truly is. It's f*cked up and everyone knows it, but to the extent of HOW f*cked up it can be, still boggles the minds of those that know it. This is why I partially stopped pursuing my own career into becoming part of that industry. I don't like being considered property of a higher conglomerate. From personal experience, they treat inmates better in county.
  • Randee75
    Randee75 Posts: 234
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    Bump........want to show my friend this. I have always hated the biggest loser......now I know why!!!
  • JillyBean819
    JillyBean819 Posts: 313 Member
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    I have less respect for Bob & Jillian now.
  • magglett
    magglett Posts: 2,000
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    Thank you ... good read
  • lilmommy
    lilmommy Posts: 84
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    Bump for later
  • porcelain_doll
    porcelain_doll Posts: 1,005 Member
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    Can't be as bad as she says. 11 seasons ... 15-20 contestants each time, and one disgruntled patient? You're never going to please everyone.

    I actually get a lot of motivation from the show. They have good nutrition tips, and if they were really constantly dehydrating, they'd have had some significant in-season health issues by now, not to mention lawsuit(s) out the wazoo.

    When Moses lost 41 pounds the first week, it may make people think "something's up." Yeah, something's up. Dude went from probably 8000 calories a day to 2000 max, and was working out several hours a day. Do you know how many calories are expended moving a body that size?
    Maybe so, but also remember that a lot of contracts are signed, and I imagine some threats are even made, if anybody says anything to the media about what goes on.

    Also, they may not always have done things in this manner. As the revenue builds, they may be pushing the limits further and further.

    As they say, it all comes out in the wash... When one person comes forward, more tend to have enough confidence to follow.
  • loriefolk
    loriefolk Posts: 352
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    WOW. I have lost all respect for JM
  • sunbeam11
    sunbeam11 Posts: 67
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    I read the whole interview. Not surprised about how faked it is, really, but the degree of dehumanization the contestants go through is worse than I thought it was. It's bad enough to have to stand up there in spandex and get weighed on a livestock scale.... And really the brainwashing shouldn't be surprising. I think most of us know how heavy people are treated in this society. I have a grandmother who ought to sign up to be a trainer on that show. If running a constant commentary on my weight would force me into an eating disorder, she'd be delighted. :grumble: It is not healthy to lose that much weight in a week anyway (12 lbs, come on--really!) You know they had to be dehydrated. Slow and steady wins the race and weight loss has to be a susainable way of life where your bad habits are effectively changed into good ones or else it's just not gonna work in the long run. They generate so much money from that show. Of course they're going to do what it takes to make it more "exciting".
  • oRoseo
    oRoseo Posts: 5
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    Wow... thats terrible. D:
  • janesmith1
    janesmith1 Posts: 1,511 Member
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    The thing is, as we ALL know here at MFP, if you do a 1200 day diet you WILL lose. That's just reality, they don't HAVE to go through this, they will lose whether or not they exercise too.
  • chelekaz
    chelekaz Posts: 871 Member
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    I never really bought into it as a whole truth because it is "reality" tv; but I never imagined...
  • edryer123
    edryer123 Posts: 502 Member
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    I started writing a long response to this but stopped myself. The show is for entertainment, it is also educational if you are realistic about "real" weight loss, not "reality" weight loss. There is no magical thing that is going to happen to make you drop the weight. Calories in. Calories out. How often do you hear that on the show? A lot, because that is what every nutritionist, doctor, and trainer I have ever talked to has said because that is a fact. If you have ever been around a wrestler on weigh-in day, you know the tricks to fool the scale. If you have watched this season of BL you have seen scale manipulation. If they are doing it to gain a ton of weight (15lbs in two weeks?) don't be naive to believe they aren't doing it the other way either. The reason the contestants weigh in wearing spandex is because those t-shirts add weight, the point is to lose it, so they are going to lose every ounce they can. Do I think it necessary? No. Pre-weigh the clothes and deduct that from the total. But again it is for entertainment.

    Bottomline, I think Kai is unhappy with how she was treated on the show before, during, and after. Do I think the extremes they show is a good idea? hell no! Don't people remember the addage don't believe everything you see on tv? or read in a book?

    Okay, sorry about the rant there.... I shall step off the soapbox now!
  • 2LiveAgain
    2LiveAgain Posts: 72
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    People might hate me for this, but I don't see anything "wrong" with what was done. People should not be subjected to what those contestants are being subjected to, BUT they are contestants on a game show. It goes with the territory. People should be clear that the show is about entertainment and profit and not about being nice to people. If people want extreme results, they need exposure to the extreme. Football players going to football camp go through ****. People who join the military are berated and made to feel inadequate to get them to perform. It happens in so many instances where someone has to hit rockbottom before they recognize that they need to do something for themselves. Just getting on a gameshow will not make someone lose weight.

    As for the show not wanting anything to do with Eric once he won....why would they? I don't remember the last time I watched Price is Right where Bob Barker called old showcase winners up to see how they were enjoying their new washing machines.

    Is it nice that TBL treats its contestants like garbage? Nope. But they aren't treating non-contestants like that. These people signed waivers and contracts and if they didn't want what was being dished out, any of them would be free to leave whenever they chose to.

    I agree. it is REALITY TV, and most people know that what you see on these shows probably isn't the whole truth. I find the show very inspiring and just like someone else before me said the numbers they show them losing each week are unhealthy, yes, but the things they promote about the healthy way to lose weight are accurate, they constantly tell them to make sure to drink their water and during their workouts you even see they always have their bottled water. It may be just for show but still, they are not telling the viewers to dehydrate themselves and workout hours upon hours each day, if that's what really goes on behind the scenes, they signed up for it. And about how it's humiliating to put them in spandex and sports bras or make the guys take their shirts off, I have even said while watching the show that I myself would not wanna go on the show for that reason alone-to stand up there wearing that on the scale for the world to see, BUT we all see each season that that's what they have to wear, so these people on the show KNOW before even trying out for the show that they will have to wear those at weigh ins. As far as the article goes, there really is no way to know if what she is saying is all true, and I believe if I read correctly that her eating disorder started while the contestants were at home still competing for the finale. Maybe they did call to check up on her and put some pressure on her to be the first girl to win but it sounds to me like while she was at home trying to lose weight she did more harm to her body than what they did on the show, maybe they did tell them to dehydrate while on the ranch and work them out too hard, but she was at home then, she had the her own free will to lose weight the healthy way, the way she states in the article that she had done on her own so many times before. This might sound harsh but it sounds to me a little like maybe she liked the weight she was losing there and got used to it and then while at home might of got scared to put pounds back on, so took it to the extreme. Just sayin, you never know!
  • edryer123
    edryer123 Posts: 502 Member
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    Tera from season 7 when they showed her after she went home before the finale, she told Jillian about the pressure she felt being home and being scared about the weight gain after she ate an entire bag of pita chips in the middle of the grocery store. Jillian told her straight up that the competition was a short term thing and that she needed to not be so hard on herself because this was so she could get her life back. She could have the pita chips but needed to learn to relax and not beat herself up for it. I think they do feel pressure from the competition but how much is the show and how much is it that they are putting on themselves?
  • peteyTwang
    peteyTwang Posts: 250
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    Never watched the show either except the unavoidable commercials for it and it's insane spin-offs e.g. "Village On A Diet" (Wow!)
    In any case, I believe Kai's a very brave woman and true hero for sharing her story and I have nothing but respect for her! ..and for those of you commenting against her you're totally missing the point! forget DIET think LIFESTYLE! She's 100% RIGHT about how WRONG it is to lose to much too fast as I'm learning @ http://www.fat2fitradio.com/

    S-L-O-W and S-T-E-A-D-Y folks.... :smile:
  • TinaBina975
    TinaBina975 Posts: 21
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    bump
  • rherrin5
    rherrin5 Posts: 136 Member
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    Thanks for sharing! I can not believe that all of this was allowed! How rediculous!!!! I do not think im a fan anymore. Good luck Kai!
  • fatboypup
    fatboypup Posts: 1,873 Member
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    I dont watch the show and I really wont now

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