Biggest Loser Lawsuit

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dbanks80
dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
in Chit-Chat
I was watching the news this morning on some of the Biggest Loser contestants filing a lawsuit because they regained the weight they lost and because Biggest Losers had bad practices on how they lost the weight i.e. 800 calories per day , dehydration before weigh-in, exercising 8 hours in a day. One woman regained 150 lbs and says now her metabolism is messed up because of the unhealthy practices and after the show they just washed their hands of her.

My question is a lawsuit justified? If they felt the Biggest Loser was doing such bad practices why did they stay with the show. Also why now that you've regained the weight are you now filing a lawsuit?

Shouldn't they (the contestants) take some accountability?

Replies

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    Really hard to answer any of those questions without knowing all the facts.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    I've never been a fan of Biggest Loser and always assumed there were some fairly extreme weight loss methods used.

    However, 1 point: "Why did contestants stay with the show" .....I'm assuming there were contractual obligations. If contestants "just walked" they might be the ones being sued.

    I can see both sides (at least a little bit). On the one hand you have "experts" helping you along the way. They are supposed to know what they are doing. But BL contestants are just like so many people who lose weight, only to put the pounds right back on. I've done that myself. I don't blame anyone but me.
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
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    TeaBea wrote: »
    I've never been a fan of Biggest Loser and always assumed there were some fairly extreme weight loss methods used.

    However, 1 point: "Why did contestants stay with the show" .....I'm assuming there were contractual obligations. If contestants "just walked" they might be the ones being sued.

    I can see both sides (at least a little bit). On the one hand you have "experts" helping you along the way. They are supposed to know what they are doing. But BL contestants are just like so many people who lose weight, only to put the pounds right back on. I've done that myself. I don't blame anyone but me.

    That is part of my point. I've done WW, MFP or whatever and I've lost significant amounts of weight and I've regained it all on my own doing. But I am not going to sue because MFP had me on such and such calories a day or WW didn't motivate me enough in their meetings.

  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,841 Member
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    dbanks80 wrote: »
    My question is a lawsuit justified?

    They sign documentation to the effect of what they do and how they do it during the show. Liability begins and end there. The easy question is, who was to blame for them being overweight BEFORE the show? Precedence is, they were responsible then, so they are also responsible after. End of case.
  • Tsartele
    Tsartele Posts: 683 Member
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    Two words HELL NO
  • synchkat
    synchkat Posts: 37,369 Member
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    It's worth a try. Like many lawsuits it could be a see what they can get sort if thing.
    not saying it's right but who am I to judge
  • Anaris2014
    Anaris2014 Posts: 138 Member
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    I suppose the question becomes whether the show's producers were negligent. If they have suffered ongoing harm (i.e particularly decreased metabolism) that are, or out reasonable have been anticipated by the producers (and their medical advice). If they were denied access, or discouraged from seeking independent medical advice (for example) - I suspect that too much remains unknown (to the public) for a determination of their is a justifiable cause of action against the show.
  • Acacia_Evers
    Acacia_Evers Posts: 263 Member
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    No because they're playing the victim. They should have done research once they got home as to what it takes to keep their weight at maintenance. That's no ones fault but their own. They didn't watch what they were eating and they stopped exercising.
  • inthedistrict
    inthedistrict Posts: 83 Member
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    Seriously...
  • Anaris2014
    Anaris2014 Posts: 138 Member
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    Acacia_Evers wrote: »
    No because they're playing the victim. They should have done research once they got home as to what it takes to keep their weight at maintenance. That's no ones fault but their own. They didn't watch what they were eating and they stopped exercising.

    That's also plausible.

    I know two TBL contestants personally. One is doing very well, the other struggling (but still doing OK). Neither is close to their starting weight, both now have a generally healthy weight. The one that is doing really seems to live clean, the other has a cycle of "binge eating/binge dieting". I can't imagine that either of them is particularly interested in joining any such class action.

    Again, we are simply guessing as to whether irreparable harm was done to their metabolism as result of the program. I've seen things suggesting that is the case and other suggesting that it was just a matter of falling back to old habits. I admit that the numbers for their show seem to be comparable to the success rates of people trying to do it without the show, so maybe TBL has a strong defence. It seems to me that it is far two early to make any binding assessment.
  • TheRoadDog
    TheRoadDog Posts: 11,793 Member
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    I'm sure they signed a waiver of some sort when they came on the show.
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
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    Everyone is making good points. But the Biggest Loser has been on air forever and like the @Acacia_Evers said I am sure most of these contestants should have done some kind of research. It just seems they are not taking accountability for their role.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    dbanks80 wrote: »
    It just seems they are not taking accountability for their role.

    Individuals should definitely take accountability for their actions, because a good outcome is better to have than somebody to blame. Should corporations ever take accountability for the actions they profit from?
  • MsAmandaNJ
    MsAmandaNJ Posts: 1,248 Member
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    Some people just don't think things through. I haven't seen much of the show, not my thing, but from what I understand they drop the weight in a fast, unhealthy way. That part blows my mind. Lose the weight, keep it off - they should be taught how to do both. If they aren't, then it's on them to find the information we all have access to.

    Maybe they are prescribed a plan to be able to maintain and struggle with temptation and lack of motivation. I'd hope they were given something along those lines. But can you go into maintenance after dropping that much weight that quickly? I mean, is it scary hard? If you want it bad enough, you make it happen.
  • Tsartele
    Tsartele Posts: 683 Member
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    These people are ultimately responsible for their own destinies and therefore the show has no control over what happens after they leave. If you lost a ton of weight then its up to you to keep it off. If you cant do that then its no fault but your own. Plain and simple.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    Time to shut down that terrible and, yes, dangerously unhealthy show.
  • AngelinaB_
    AngelinaB_ Posts: 563 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Really hard to answer any of those questions without knowing all the facts.

    I don't think anybody knows the real facts why we gain weight after loosing it so I don't know if this lawsuit can go forward, who knows.

    Science still don't understand well the process of gaining and loosing weight. Seems tho, there is something called a set weight that bodies go after, when we are not doing anything (dieting, working out etc), we tent to stabilize around that weight, and there is the possibility to change the set weight down (or up)... but it takes years and regular eating patterns, not starvation very aggressive diets. Actually, the opposite as starvation diets is what seems works in the long run and to set that "set weight" down.

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