Some of the 2012 Biggest Loser contestants
I have never seen a full episode of The Biggest Loser. I flicked over once, years ago, to see the contestants blind-folded and surrounded by chocolates. There was some kind of punishment attached to eating them, and as the crackling of wrappers betrayed the weak ones, they were berated by their team mates. It was like a terrible dream. You know those bizarre nightmares in which the humiliations of your teenage years are combined with adulthood? Imagine a dream in which you, an adult, are shamefully gobbling choccies, on TV, in bike shorts, while other adults express their disappointment in you for letting them down.
I had a little cry that night.
Shows like The Biggest Loser and Excess Baggage create a forum for needy people to get on TV and nasty people to call them names. It’s not about “the journey”. It’s about acceptance, it’s about the Princess moment. It’s about having a bunch of beautiful people congratulate you for making it to their world – however brief your stay will be. It’s even on television, which we all know is only for beautiful people. Well as far I’m concerned, these shows make for ugly television and contribute to ugliness in our community.
You’ve only got to follow twitter during an episode to witness the vile barbs people hurl from their couches. “I will unfollow anyone tweeting nasty things about the Biggest Loser people,” I tweeted last year. “You know it’s wrong to treat others that way, you’ve known it since pre school, so don’t do it.”
It’s hard to insist the contestants be treated with compassion, when the network behind Excess Baggage chooses to publicise the series with full page ads depicting the celebrities crushing the channel nine logo, by sitting on it. I mean seriously, is that how those clever executives were raised? I would be thoroughly ashamed of my children if they participated in the humiliation of anyone, for any amount of money or television ratings, at any age.
Some of the Biggest Loser pictures being used for ad campaigns.This is trainer Tiffiny Hall
The Biggest Loser’s full pagers depict their angelic trainers as naked and faultless pillars of integrity and honor. I guess I’m supposed to aspire to be like them, maybe tear the pages out and stick them to my fridge like I did when I was fourteen and thought I’d never be right as long as I was fat. I’m not even going to ask if those pics are photoshopped, because I couldn’t care less. They just have nothing to do with me. I’m not fourteen anymore. I have pictures of my kids on my fridge, and their growth in contentment and compassion is the only journey I’m interested in taking with what’s left of my fortunate life.
I have said before that I have a perfect body. It has everything it is meant to have, although God knows, great things have been achieved by people with missing limbs and things, regardless of the ‘imperfection’ of their form. My body is healthy, and does everything I ask it to. I can “run around with my kids” even though they’ll try to convince you only thin people can do that. I am a very lucky person, born in a prosperous and free country, where peace reigns. I refuse to believe that I am somehow unlucky because I don’t look like Tiffany in the buff.
Have a look at the advertisement for The Biggest Loser that’s been playing over the summer.
And now have a look at this. It was created in response to those ads.
Meshel Laurie is a comedian and broadcaster. You can catch up with her on Nova’s Drive Show with Tim Blackwell and Marty Sheargold 4-6pm on weekdays.
Did you watch The Biggest Loser? What did you think?
Comments
423 Comments so far
I wonder what would happen if two teams of overweight people were taken on to do volunteer work with animals or some kind of purposeful physical activity (helping people grow gardens perhaps or dig wells) where they could spend time outside, learn skills and gradually get fit. The weight loss would be slower but people would get the pleasure of eating fresh veggies they’d grown themselves or milk from cows they’d milked rather than diet food full of chemicals and artifical sweeteners. People were taught to feel good about the bodies as purposeful and functional, instead of shamed and guilty. Meaningful therapy would be offered to help with the emotional causes of overeating/bingeing/bulimia rather than simply weight loss strategies.
I watched the Biggest Loser for 5 minutes and turned it off when I saw an add offered meal replacement chocolate bars.
Have you read these interviews with former Biggest Loser contestant?
http://www.bodylovewellness.com/2010/06/16/kai-hibbard-biggest-loser-finalist-part-2-of-3/
I hope the Australian version is better!
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Wait are you insinuating fat people don’t do those things already? I garden, bike, and walk daily… I am so sick of people thinking they know my habits by looking at me – dear self righteous thin folks of the world: you are not the only healthy ones. And we are not your pet project. Thank you very much.
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I think Cate was suggesting that this would make a better reality tv show and be beneficial in the long term…. I don’t think she was insinuating anything.
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Calm down Janie, I am pretty sure she is on your side. Perhaps you need to ask yourself why you are so defensive that you jump down someone’s throat even when they have the same opinion as you.
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Lol, are you the same Janie as above who said:
“I just wanted to say that i am very happy living my fat healthy life.”
you don’t seem happy living your fat healthy life if you get all hot under the collar over comments you misinterpreted.
just goes to show fat people who like to say they are happy being that way actually aren’t happy and know they aren’t treating their body well.
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I was the editor for the “response” video, and I teared up all over again seeing it here! Thank you for helping us spread the message that human beings do not have to submit to abuse or shaming to be healthy and happy and loved. Thank you for helping us spread the images of beautiful, diverse, confident, happy women. If you’re reading this and putting down anyone else’s body, please consider focusing your attention on accepting and loving your own instead — and then use it, and your mind and heart, to help create a world where all of us can find acceptance.
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Bullying is not entertainment, it’s good to see more and more people realizing that. Yes adopting healthy habits is something that should be supported and encouraged, but screaming humiliation is just never a reasonable way to do it. The argument that the overweight individuals participating do so of their own free will doesn’t even hold water once you consider the fact that pop-culture has brainwashed them since birth to believe they deserve to be treated this way.
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I loved this article.People can be thin,fat or inbetween AND healthy.We should love and appreciate our bodies for all the wonderful things they do no matter what size we are.
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Christina, you cannot be a 160kg woman and be healthy. You just can’t. I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with society saying that, is there?
Yes, we have to embrace our differences and not try and feed people through a sausage machine so that we’re all identical but surely we want people to take care of themselves?
OF COURSE you don’t have to be thin to be healthy. And OF COURSE not every thin person is healthy but the people on this show are not healthy.
I worry that while we’re all so politcally correct, we’ll never do what’s required to solve this issue in society – like change our taxation so it’s a basket of fresh protein, fruit and vegetables that is more affordable than a basket of processed, chemically enhanced and saturated fat and sugar laden items. That’s a bigger issue than people going on TV and CHOOSING to be treated the way are.
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I weigh more than that and I bet my blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar are healthier than yours. But it’s not about that. It’s about each of us having DIFFERENT bodies, and finding ways to be healthy within the bodies we have, rather than taking it upon ourselves to try to shame or change others. Think of it this way: Every criticism you make of someone else’s body is a projection of the way you feel about yourself.
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I never said for a second it’s okay to shame anyone, regardless of their appearance or anything else. You won’t find that in anything I’ve written and it’s not what I believe.
I do believe it’s okay to encourage good health in society.
Good health is not about weight but it is about eating fresh rather than processed foods and leading a healthy lifestyle.
I personally think that the knowledge and education required on how to do so is terribly lacking.
And I think the cheapness of fast food in relation to fresh food is a major issue that our government should be tackling.
Look at those terrifying shows Jamie Oliver does where the children don’t know what a potato is unless it’s in chip format. Everyone is responsible for their own choices and their own bodies. I just want everyone to have the tools to make that choice rather than have it made for them.
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Okay, I’m a size 14-16, so not a thin girl, but I dispute anyone saying they weigh over 160kg and have healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. Especially when it’s prefaced by ‘I bet’.
That being said, it’s your body so I don’t mind what you do with it.
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I am 290 lbs perfect blood pressure cholesterol and glucose – not a damn thing wrong with me , but even if there was nothing justifies the treatment and exploitation that these shows dish out or the fervor to which the commenters here cling to … It’s ok to publicly shame and humiliate people because it’s for their “health”
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Janie, i think you’re misinterpreting what people are saying. I haven’t read one comment from anyone that says it’s okay to shame or humiliate anyone. I think despite all the passionate views here, that may be the one thing we can all agree on.
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its not just those that are indicators of good health. lung capacity, joint movements and stability, bone health, etc are all affected by weight and can cause major health issues
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Also, if you get sick (or have a car accident etc), medical procedures are a lot harder to do on someone of that size. It is hard to find a vein or artery for lines, as the overlying layer of fat (adipose tissue) is thicker. Getting a diagnosis may be harder as some CT scanners will only take up to 150kg, and even with the ones with stronger tables, the X-rays can’t penetrate as far, so the image quality is poorer. It is harder for staff to move a person of that size (if they are unconscious and unable to move themselves) so they are more vulnerable to pressure ulcers.
Unfortunately, obesity is bad for health in more ways than people may initially realize.
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I bet?
Pat, sorry. I “bet” that if you are over 160kg your cholesterol, blood sugar or nothing else is not better than someone who weighs much less. I have cancer, I’ve lost 2/3 of my stomach, 40% of my liver, a thyroid and kidney. Many of my health indicators are not normal for most people but they are for me. But that’s because I’ve had serious illness, surgery and treatments. Not because I am overweight (technically at 65kg I AM classified as overweight). But I “bet” that even with all those factors, my levels are healthier than yours.
I’m not fatist. I believe first and foremost in being happy. But in this day and age of negative advertising, cheap take away food and fast lifestyles, we HAVE to do what we can to be healthy, to live long and happy lives. Injecting insulin every day because of diabetes, laying in a hospital bed longer than necessary because your body isn’t internally healthy enough to heal after surgery – thatis NOT fun and doesn’t make anyone feel better about themselves.
Be happy. Be healthy. But don’t be so obese that you set yourself up for health problems and then take out your frustrations on people who have chosen to do something about it for themselves.
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“I weigh more than that and I bet my blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar are healthier than yours.”
Riiiight, what a great argument, let’s just say you probably wouldn’t win a lot of money if you were a gambler.
And I don’t for one second believe that you can weigh150kg and be healthy, whatever you may think that says about me.
And to the person/diva who asks if Lauren is a doctor, can I just say that while I am not a doctor, I do work with them every day and no way on earth do they believe that someone that large can be healthy. It’s simply not possible and I would argue that you would need to doctor shop for a long time before you’d find one who would tell you otherwise.
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Lauren, are you a doctor? How do you know that a 160 kg woman is not healthy? Have you checked her blood pressure? Have you seen her cholesterol ratings or her A1C numbers? What about her heart condition? If you don’t know those things, you CANNOT make a statement that no one can be healthy at 160 kg. Every person is different. We are born different, we live in different environments, we make different choices. We are all VASTLY different. That is the very thing that, yes, makes it absolutely wrong for “society” to say that.
And as for it being “society” saying that, well, I don’t see “society” saying that – I just see you as a single person making that statement, and that’s what the whole problem boils down to – individuals who cave to what they *THINK* society says.
And that’s my two cents.
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Fair enough, we can agree to disagree and each have our two cents!
My ‘bandwagon’ as such isn’t about weight – but is about everyone having access to good foods and education. I’d hope that yes ‘society’ could agree that that’s a good thing.
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Youre right, we are all different. But you’re kidding yourself I’d you think a 160kg woman (or man) is totally healthy.
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Guys, let’s stick to the topic of this post which is the “marketing” of The Biggest Loser program this year. Let’s not start wars with one another on personal weights. Dinner party rules. Okay?
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not a doctor, but an exercise physiologist, and no, 160 kg is not healthy weight, for ANYONE. even if you have good blood pressure, cholesterol, resting sugar and all he rest, you are over stressing your joints such as your Ligament, tendons and cartilage, your VO2 to mass ratio will be low (which is what we ofen use to look a fitness), your core muscles along with back and shoulders will struggle to maintain good posture and keeping your lower back safe. the more fa you gain the more insulin you will need for the same amount of carbohydrates, hence putting you at a massive risk at diabetes, even if your not showing it yet
And A little disclaimer, I have no issue with people whatever size they are, however people need to realise obeasity isnt healthy, and please note I said Obeasity not overweight, there is a important difference!
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I quite like TBL, I like that it celebrates achievements although I accept Meshels comments that it is based on humiliation. To be a real “reality”show it should last a year & let the contestants lose the weight in real-life conditions, managing work, family & general life while trying to eat right & fit in exercise. Realistically that is how long it takes to lose the amount of weight that the contestants need to. But I guess real reality is not as entertaining at “reality TV”.
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I fully agree that The Biggest Loser is ‘shame-tertainment’. At first. At the beginning it’s all about the crying and the wobbling and the falling in the mud and the standing in front of the mirror in underwear.
However, this changes. The enforced humilation does eventually dissipate. By the end of the season they’re all really incredibly fit (I mean much more fit than your average joe) and looking amazing. I love watching TBL, and it’s mainly because I love seeing the transformation from, for example, someone who cannot run to save their life, to someone who I know could outrun me. I think it’s awesome, and I think people who’ve been through it should be really proud.
I suppose it’s like when I go running. I always feel like people driving past me must be looking at me going, ‘Wow, look at her bum wobble’. And then I think, well, I’m running and they’re driving, so I’m awesome. It’s like… well, some jerks might sit in their lounge rooms and laugh at these people, but give it three months and they’re going to be fitter than any of us. I think it’s great.
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I love The Biggest Loser for exactly the reasons you’ve said, Noelle. It’s my favourite reality show, actually.
I love watching their transformations, physically and mentally. Fantastic.
I am hopeful that they’re not going to carry on too much about how the contestants are all single, never been kissed, blah blah blah though.
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Interesting article.
I love the biggest loser, I love watching people make breakthroughs for themselves and gain confidence. And to be honest, it inspires me too to keep myself healthy. I don’t want to be that overweight and go through alot of the physical and emotional heartache these people are. As for the comments that ‘skinny’ = ‘lovable’ that the show is seemingly portraying, if you listened to what the contestants were saying is that they cant love others if they cant love themselves, even one of the boys said he doesnt think he himself could love a person his size.
Those people are there because they feel this is a chance for them to change their lives and look after themselves better. Anyone who says 150+ kilos is healthy or plain curvy is kidding themselves. Good luck to them all
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Like you Meshel, I have never watched an episode of The Biggest Loser and certainly don’t plan to start now. The I’m-overweight-and-single-and-I’ve-never-been-loved angle takes it lower than ever in my opinion.
The notion that you need to be a thinner version of yourself in order to find confidence or love is really upsetting to me. Just today, a friend directed me to a US Special K campaign where women would hold up signs of what they will gain when they lose weight. Among the words written were ‘self belief’, ‘sex appeal’ and horrifyingly, ‘peace’. Like it’s un-peaceful to be overweight! Ugh. Disgust.
To echo Mia’s thoughts, the way TBL supposedly ‘change lives’ is the biggest farce on television. I don’t know why anyone is ever shocked when these contestants (because don’t forget, weight loss IS a contest) show up on A Current Affair 6 months later, back to their old habits and feeling unhappier than ever, as though they have failed themselves. Healthy weight loss can only achieved when the strategies you are using are realistic, sustainable and will last for the rest of your life.
I think like many women, despite an innate awareness of where confidence should come from and that we should love ourselves for who we are, I am constantly at odds with my body, working to be more confident in my shape. I’m not overweight, but I am bigger than I would like to be. At times in my life (younger times), I have been up to 10kgs lighter than I am now and I won’t lie, it felt good. I’d always been the slightly chubby girl throughout high school and finally, I wasn’t. It felt good. I get it. Wanting to lose weight to improve your health and gain confidence is not a bad thing. Doing it on a TV show is. Doing it to feel worthy of love is. Weight is not something to obsess over, yet we all do it.
As GeorgiePie said, if you are obese, you aren’t the healthiest version of you. It’s not a rumour, or speculation. It’s just the truth. Carrying an unhealthy amount of weight around on your bod puts extra pressure on everything, making it work harder to do its thing and making you more susceptible to illness and an earlier expiry date.
I loved the second video and may or may not have teared up a bit, but while these women are confident, loved and incredible, a few of them appeared to be severely overweight. While I don’t dispute that they are indeed happy, loved and strong, I do dispute the message that being unhealthily overweight is to be embraced, or worse, ignored.
The Biggest Loser is just stupid television that sparks many a discussion such as this. I’m sure they mean well, but whatever. I guess people keep on watching or it wouldn’t keep rearing its ugly head each year. (Note to people: stop watching.)
Beauty, as perceived by the world, isn’t about being a certain weight or dress size. Everyone has their own ‘beautiful’, and it’s up to us to find it and to feel it.
Side note: I will be interested to see what Excess Baggage is all about as they seem to be taking an entirely different approach. No food temptation challenges, no unnatural environment and interestingly, a psychologist, nutritionist and trainer (as well as another ‘ist’ that I can’t remember) are all onsite to help out. But then the celeb factor…sigh.
Wow what a ramble, but what an interesting topic and an even more interesting way to procrastinate at work!
xx
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“interestingly, a psychologist, nutritionist and trainer (as well as another ‘ist’ that I can’t remember) are all onsite to help out.”
You honestly think they don’t have those kind of supports on TBL?
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Well I don’t know, as I said, I’ve never watched it! Just going off an article I read recently that compared the two shows – maybe they do have that support network on TBL, but in more of a behind the scenes way?
Hopefully they are more upfront on Excess Baggage and show that weight loss takes more than a great trainer.
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Pretty big and forceful comment on something you’ve never watched.
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not long ago I listened to Tiffany on radio going on about pants she wears that magically make weight drop off due to caffine in them and all i could think was she sounds like the biggest loser to me. I think the biggest loser is a stupid show and I would rather have a personality and enjoy my life like Meschel Laurie seems to be than be an airhead like Tiffany any day of the week.
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I never felt like the pictures of the trainers from TBL were intended as something to ‘aspire to’. To me the message was that they are comfortable in their own skin and they love their bodies – which is exactly what the contestants in the show are aiming to do.
You can argue saying that people can feel happy or confident at any size but obviously the people on the show don’t and that’s why they’ve reached out for help. I don’t think they’re being exploited or whatever because nobody forced them to be on the show. Furthermore, in my eyes, they are fortunate to be on the show because they are given so much opportunity to make the change that they want to in their lives.
As for Excess Baggage, everybody can see it’s just a bunch of B-rated celebrities trying to get a little bit of exposure in anyway they can. That just makes me feel terribly sorry for them.
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Well said, Jess. My sentiments exactly. An inspiring show for those who want to participate and watch. If you don’t, then don’t!
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I had a friend out from New York recently and she commented to me how many “fat Aussies’ there are and she was shocked. Go out and take a look around the city or your local shopping centre and have a look at the epidemic taking place. Obese adults and obese children – not just a little overweight with puppy fat – I am talking seriously obese people. They are risking type 2 diabetes and a multitude of health issues carrying the excess weight. I am not a fan of the The Biggest Loser type shows but the make one person change their lifestyle by watching the show, then I applaud them. I was overweight, ate badly and smoked and have now changed my life around. It wasn’t easy but I feel all the better for it. I will now hopefully live to see my grand children. Don’t put your head in the sand people – we are becoming a massively obese nation of blobs.
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I bet they don’t like looking at you, either, with that judgmental cloud hanging around your head.
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Being obese is not a judgement, it’s a fact.
If you are obese, you are unhealthy. That is also fact.
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‘Obese’ is a factual description, but ‘blob’ is judgemental. And that’s a fact.
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Guys – please do not get personal with each other. Stick to the topic of the story. Dinner party rules – respect everyone’s right to have an opinion.
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I find these weight loss shows entirely distasteful. Apart from the obvious “bullying as entertainment”, encouraging people to lose weight as a single aim is dangerous for their health.
It’s well known that diets (and other weight loss schemes) have a 95% long term failure rate. The “developed” world has been trying to lose weight for years, and yet we’re still unhealthy. Isn’t it time for a new approach, that focuses on health rather than weight loss? There is nothing wrong with a person wanting to improve their health, but to focus purely on weight loss misses that aim.
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the reason the failure rate is so high is the same reason that most people gain weight to begin with. self control
if you stick to the weight loss programs such as low carb and high protein with lots of fruit and vegetables you will have no problem.
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That’s overly simplistic. I have great self control that has led me to being very successful in some areas of my life, but my relationship with food is far more complex than ‘just say no.’ Self control is a factor, but it’s not the whole story.
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Thanks for this post! Nice to see that there are others who don’t agree with being mean to people as a form of entertainment. That’s bullying, y’know? We’re all taught that it’s bad, why do we forget when we are handed some rubbish excuse about ‘but it’s about health’. People of all shapes and sizes can be healthy, or unhealthy, can we just get on with the pleasing business of living our lives without having to pick on one another because – shock horror! – we’re all different.
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Such a great article. I am so sick of ‘shame and blame’ television shows like The Biggest Loser and Excess Baggage. If only being tolerant and inclusive and kind got ratings, maybe our world would be a better place.
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How can you be sick of a show that hasn’t started yet?
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One of the most accurate and well written articles I have read! I think there is a massive difference between helping a person live a healthier lifestyle and crushing the spirit of a person based on their appearance. Thanks for standing up for real people!
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Thank you Meshel for speaking up about this horrible phenomenon of “shame entertainment”, and thank you so much for sharing our response video. I’m so proud to have been part of that project.
What really bothers me about TBL and any other of these shows is just how much they engage in bullying for entertainment, and the bullying of highly vulnerable people. People who are happy, fulfilled and strong do not voluntarily go on television shows like this. People who think they are worthless do – and they are made to feel even more worthless by the show, and by those people who watch, judge and shame them from their living rooms.
To the people who think these shows are “inspiring” – if you need to be “inspired” by the humiliation and bullying of already vulnerable people, instead of being inspired by happy, strong, positive people of any size, there is something seriously, seriously wrong with you. It’s sick.
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I can’t watch these shows. I hate the fat shaming, I hate the way you can’t ‘find love’ unless you’re thin (WTF?), I hate the dishonesty and the fact that most of the time the weight loss is unsustainable. I hate the way the women in the photos above are smiling and the men aren’t. I hate everything about it.
I am NOT saying it is desirable or healthy to be obese, but how does this help anything?
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I love Biggest loser, I don’t think it’s humiliating I think it’s inspiring. The people want to be on there, they want to lose weight (mostly for health reasons) and they need help to do it. It is inspiring to watch the show, how hard the people try and what they can achieve in such a short time.
Fantastic viewing and i don’t think it’s degrading at all. It shows how much you can push yourself so much harder than you ever think.
By the way I hate the naked ads- yet again splashing naked bodies all over the place- reminds me of W weekly over again!
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The Biggest looser really doesnt bother me, these people are not only at a very unhealthy weight but stuck in such a bad mental state that they probably wouldnt be able to get out of it sucessfully wihout something as extreme as the biggest looser. you can just look a them and see tha deep down they really dont want to be that big. But yeah the looking for love crap is a bit OTT but it is TV, nd they want ratings!!!
to be honnest I get more irrtated but people claiming health when they are clearly obease!! While its awesome that your happy with you body and comfortable the way you are people need to realise that the reason that a body with lower bodyfat % is favored is because its beter for all of your organs, muscles, tendons and connective tissue. people may argue that they have great blood pressure and low choleserol however you have NO IDEA what could be happening in your body, as some people dnt ever have indicators of heart disease, diabetes ect before they actually get it. Also if you do start to show indicators and only then decide to loose weight to reduce your risk chances are that your tendons, ligaments and connective tissues will be weak hence incresing your risk of injury making he fight or weight loss a heck of a lot harder!!
rant over… sorry if I went on but I feel very passionatly about this
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So if someone is in a bad mental state and behaving in unhealthy ways, the way to fix it is to abuse and shame her? I don’t agree. I think real change happens when we start by loving and accepting ourselves as being worthy of love and care, and then embark on personal journeys of finding the foods and activities that make us feel strong and healthy. But that doesn’t make for very dramatic TV!
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I dont mean as in depression, these people often feel stuck in their body, with no way out despite desperatly wanting too, they are humiliated and annoyed with them self for letting them get to the state where they can barely make it up a flight of stairs.
they NEED somehing extreme to make them snap out of those thoughts, they need trainers to push them so they do make progress, you wold not believe how much people underestimate themself and they neeed somene else to push them to make them do so
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you can confident at any size. But I am SO SICK of people saying ‘I’m healthy’ when they’re obviously obese. Like the lady on the second video. ‘I’m healthy, I love my curves…’ argh! TBH I wish I had that body confidence, but I am sick of obese people saying ‘I’m curvy’. I’m a size 12/14 and I consider myself curvy. I am a little overweight (I’m very short, so all extra fat shows up like THAT) and am taking steps to combat it so my overall health is better. (It’s been a month and I can really feel the difference!) People saying ‘embrace your curves’ when they’re a size 22….It makes me feel ashamed of saying I’m curvy, because I feel like they’re using it as a word to replace fat i.e. unhealthy. Those rolls aren;t curves, that’s a size 20 body that you need to look after. ‘Are you the best version of yourself?’
Society’s view of healthy is so warped – when you are that overweight things with your body aren’t right. Sometimes your weight is beyond your control, and those people I really feel sorry for. I think the biggest loser, despite its bad points (and there are many), has the right idea. the trainers (especially michelle, I adore her) really are concerned for their client’s overall health and how their excess weight is affecting them.
(just so we all know I refuse to use the BMI as a indicator of ideal weight – I was a gymnast, had very low body fat and was considered obese. I now dance, am a size 12-14 and it still classifies me as obese! I am overweight, but NOT obese! body measurements and body fat %age all the way)
I have type 1 diabetes, and it makes me so sad when people don’t take care of their bodies and run a huge risk of getting type 2 diabetes and other preventable illnesses. I couldn’t prevent my diabetes, but lots of people can prevent type 2 (apart from those poor souls who get it due to genetics and other stuff out of their control). I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone! the biggest loser is teaching them to invest in their bodies, and making sure that they can be the best person they can be. it’s not about validating yourself to external judgement, its about making YOUR life better, healthier, and ensuring you live a long one!
these reality shows can be fat shaming, over dramatic and cruel, which I hate. last night made me cry at points, surely they could have handled stuff a little more tactfully! but i think if it even motivates one person to sort out the reasons they are overweight and take steps to combat that, then it has done its job.
rant over
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Oh wow, If I had seen your post before typing mine I wouldnt have needed to say a thing!
but I honnestly agree about the curves thing, I have a naural hourglass figure and It pisses me off so much o see people refer to having massive gut as curves!!! curves are about boobs, tiny waists, broard hips, and a round butt and thighs!!
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YES!
natural hourglass figures unite
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It is wonderful that you mention “natural” hourglass figures because you have just made an amazing point for me. There are only so many of those “natural hourglass” figures in this world, just like there are only so many of those “natural round,” or “naturally lush” figures as well. We are all to be celebrated because we are ALL “naturally beautiful.” Thank you for bringing up that wonderful point. I might not have caught it if you hadn’t mentioned it.
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is that sarcastic? I can’t tell.
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Im not actuly sure either, but in he day and age of plastic surgey going as far as hip and bum implants, Ill stick to my statement. and also what I ment it doesnt maer how thin or fat i get I still have an hourglass figure!
I also think that all types of body are beautiful, I never said the only hourglass figures were, just that people shouldnt describe rolls as curves!
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I’m a ‘vase’ (like an hourglass, but smaller hips) and I too dislike the word ‘curves’ becoming a euphemism for ‘fat’. Teeny-tiny people can be curvy, just as bigger people can; fat rolls are not curves!
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I walked past a shop near me called “Curvaceous Babes” today, and thought, “You know what, being shaped like a barrel and a size 24 isn’t curvaceous. It’s fat”. It’s a fat ladies shop.
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You should do their marketing since you’re so brilliant
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Thanks!
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Hi, I’m the person who produced the second video. I am a professional National Champion competitive dancer, an athlete, and am healthy by every measure of actual health that exists (cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose, strength, stamina, flexibility etc.) I’m also obese and I am SO SICK of having people make assumptions about my health based on my weight, or trying to replace my actual experience with one they make up about me.
Despite how aggressively the concept has been sold to us by billion dollar businesses like The Biggest Loser franchise, you cannot judge someone’s health by their weight. There are healthy and unhealthy people of every shape and size and using weight as a proxy for health harms everyone. It gives fat people the mistaken message that healthy habits don’t work unless those habits also make them thin, and it does a disservice to thin people by giving them the dangerously incorrect idea that their thinness makes them healthy.
Weight loss fails 95% of the time in the long term. According to Wayne Miller from George Washington University “There isn’t even one peer-reviewed controlled clinical study of any intentional weight-loss diet that proves that people can be successful at long-term significant weight loss. No commercial program, clinical program, or research model has been able to demonstrate significant long-term weight loss for more than a small fraction of the participants. Given the potential dangers of weight cycling and repeated failure, it is unscientific and unethical to support the continued use of dieting as an intervention for obesity.”
According to The Cooper Institute, after 20 years of intense study “We’ve studied this from many perspectives in women and in men and we get the same answer: It’s not the obesity—it’s the fitness”
I am SO SICK of people ignoring all the data and insisting that they can tell everything from my exercise habits to my diabetes status by looking at me and that the path to health inevitably leads to being thin. It’s simply not true. If we want to have a dialog about health then we need to take weight out of the equation and stop spreading the misconception that weight and health are the same thing. There is a great video about that by a doctor here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo
You are welcome to stop identifying as curvy, that’s your choice. The way that other people choose to self-identify is not. I don’t normally identify as “curvy” but based on this I just might start. I am the curvy best version of myself.
~Ragen
http://www.danceswithfat.org
As far as curvy goes, people get to define that for themselves, if you don’t care to
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You rock lady! I wish we all had the same confidence in your abilities that you do. It’s a slog for some people to even think they are worth being healthy.
“There are healthy and unhealthy people of every shape and size and using weight as a proxy for health harms everyone. It gives fat people the mistaken message that healthy habits don’t work unless those habits also make them thin, and it does a disservice to thin people by giving them the dangerously incorrect idea that their thinness makes them healthy.”
Loved this!
I so could not do that leg lift you are doing in your pic!
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It sounds to me, from this comment and others I have read, is that the statistic that 95% of people put on the weight again is a cop out. A cop out to actually get healthier. Sure, I realise people can be healthy and be bigger, but there is a reason that health and disease is seen socially as a very important issue for people who do fall under overweight and especially obese characterisations.
In regards to that statstic above too, I have heard the same statistic quoted at between 50-95%. Clearly, these studies lack proper controls and are open to interpretation as well as manipulation by those conducting them. These studies are funded by pharmaceutical companies, among others. People have agendas when they publish such information, whether it is to sell a product or push for a particular government policy.
IMO it doesn’t matter what amount of exercise people do so much- weight loss is linked more to eating. I know people who exercise but eat too much. It may be healthy food, but too much is too much. While there are grey areas regarding body shape, size and health overall, there are facts and figures which can not be contested.
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Hi Ragen!
I just visited your website (loving your turns in that two step routine, very impressed. my turns are crap, I’d probably end up turning into one of those tables or something).
I think you misunderstood me a little. Idon’t think that the path to health leads to ‘thin’. I think the path to health leads to HEALTH. I’ve never been thin, I was always the girl with the boobs, the hips and a little belly at every comp, yet I’ve competed in national gymnastics and dance competitions for years. What I’m really trying to say is that for the MAJORITY of obese people – not you, not athletes like you, not people that have a legit medical condition, etc – being obese is an indicator of being unhealthy.
“Given the potential dangers of weight cycling and repeated failure, it is unscientific and unethical to support the continued use of dieting as an intervention for obesity.” <– this is TRUE. no-one loses weight 'dieting'. You lose weight very slowly, finding out what works for you. You don't diet, you find those reasons why you are overweight and you confront them. I found my reasons, and I'm well on the way. This study is true, but not in the way you are trying to use it!
People shouldn't lose weight to be thin, they should lose weight to be HEALTHY. If you are 'technically' obese, but all your stats say you're fine, dude, go for it. awesome. But the sad reality is that a lot of obese people are not healthy. You're not the majority Ragen, you're the exception.
I have a dancer question for you. I hope you reply! Do you think you would find it easier to execute certain movement if you weighed less? Judging by your leg mount you're obviously flexible
but do you think you would be able to get your leg ups lot higher in that leg mount and jete (that picture on your blog) without the extra weight? Im speaking from experience here – I REALLY felt the difference between a leg mount 15kgs heavier than I was. My hips and thighs get in the way! It was physically harder to get it up there, my flex is still the same! And I've always found that leaping – stag leaps, jetes, russians etc – are a lot easier when I was lighter. Do you feel like it would help your dancing at all? Oh that sounds horrible, sorry…I’m trying to say that you’re a fantastic dancer already, but do you think you would have more options with choreography, and would losing weight make it easier for you?
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Wow, you had problems with a video that promoted loving yourself the way you are, and being confident enough that, if you wanted to change, it wouldn’t have to be done to validate yourself against other peoples judgements?
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No, I had a problem with a video in which obese women proclaimed they were healthy. Not loving yourself the way you are! Who would ever have a problem with that?
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Such a beautiful and true post Meshel. I feel so uncomfortable with the way these people are held up for ridicule in the promos and the shows themselves.
And don’t get me started on the crash diets.
When I was watching YTT with my daughter on Sunday night, I had to change channels every time a Biggest Loser promo came on. I don’t want that shit going into her head.
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I have a lot of time for you Mia and don’t often disagree with you, but you’re hating TBl but it’s OK for young children to work long television hours and run around singing Lady Gaga songs? I love Lady Gaga and much of her approach but primary school kids singing her lyrics really, really worries me. I’ll assume you disagree given your love of the new YTT.
So my point is, why is one opinion more valid than another on these issues? I’m getting a distinct feeling that when people don’t agree with you (or your writers) they are immediately wrong. And I always kind of thought you were more open minded than that.
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Sorry Mia but what shit don’t you want in her head? That it’s not ok to be unhealthy? That through a proper diet and exercise you show that you respect yourself and your body?
I agree that everyone comes in all shapes and sizes but the people on the Biggest Loser are there because they genuinely have hit rock bottom. They have no love for themselves therefore they continue to hurt themselves with junk and inactivity.
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I believe the shit that Mia wouldn’t want in her daughters head (or anyone’s head for that matter is):
-You’re greatest value as a person is based on your physical appearance, whether you are a super model or an “obese person at rock bottom”.
- That your health is only tied to your weight, and therefore if your weight changes then surely your health status must change.
-That it is okay to use degradation and humiliation to force vulnerable people to change at an unsafe pace, just to make the rest of “us” feel comfortable.
-That through extremely drastic crash diets and working out for as much as most people hold a full time job is the key to finding love and happiness.
-That fueling into the 95% failure rate that crash diets produce, is a noble, inspiring thing.
I’m sorry, but this show does not promote body respect. In real life, respect isn’t the number of “votes” you get, and there is NOTHING healthy about losing a drastic amount of weight as fast as possible so that you can beat other people. Your health shouldn’t be created for a title bestowed on you by others- it should come from a healthy, respectful environment where people esteem each other and don’t resort to school yard taunts to force change.
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The people on this show are at ‘rock bottom’. I cried with them last night seeing how little love they have for themselves. It’s the psychological and emotional aspect that has allowed them to treat their bodies so badly.
If shows like the Biggest Loser can inspire someone out there watching to get up and go for a walk or put down that junk they are binging on then how is it a bad thing?
The other ‘weightloss’ show I like to watch is on Lifestyle You and is called Supersize vs Superskinny. It shows that you don’t have to be obese to be unhealthy. It shows that 2 extreme diets on either end are bad for you. It shows that through proper diet and a little exercise you can treat your body properly.
I think programs like these, while marketed to gain ratings, have valuable lessons that everyone can learn no matter what their size. If I had kids I would want them to take away the message of giving your body the best that it deserves.
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I love Supersize vs SuperSkinny! Both sides are extremely unhealthy, they are very fair, and they are so caring towards the people, it’s such a good show!
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Personally, the “shit” I wouldn’t want my kids to get into their heads is that it’s OK to open yourself up to be abused because someone else thinks they don’t measure up to an arbitrary body image. I wouldn’t want my kids to get into their heads that shaming people for being fat is OK. I wouldn’t want my kids to get into their heads that being fat is the same as not loving oneself.
You make some interesting judgments, but they are not borne out by the content of the TV show. Those people are ridiculed and disrespected by the “experts” and that is the unhealthiest thing of all to put into the body.
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I can’t watch these programs. I find them humiliating. I am ashamed that our society finds it acceptable to treat people like this & make it for public consumption!
I am concerned about obesity & Australian health, I gave up a very well paid career to look after my children & start a food business. A business that provides people in our community with the opportunity to buy fresh fruit & vegetables & other food products that are healthier options than those in most supermarkets & fast food outlets.
I share with our customers methods on how to prepare food, encourage them when they tell me they are trying to lose weight. I would never yell at them, berate them or humiliate them. I love food, I love eating, I love sharing food with people. In fact I genuinely like people, which is why I find these programs distressing. I hate to see people being belittled, treated with contempt & held up for public ridicule.
I feel like crying whenever I see the adverts for these programs, and was quite disturbed seeing the naked images of the trainers.
I am not overweight, I prefer to be have a healthy BMI, I would prefer if all in our community had healthy BMI, not for appearance sake, but for health & financial sake, but surely there are better ways to achieve this than humiliating people on television.
Thank you Meshel for this article. You were able to express your distaste for this in a much better way than I.
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A lot of commenters are talking about the contestants on the show, and whether they have had a healthy, positive experience. I think maybe what Meshel is writing about is the effect of this show, and its promotion, on viewers. It may well be true that some individuals on tbl learned some useful things and got healthier, but nevertheless the overwhelming message of the show is about changing your looks, and it normalizes fat shaming. Like the idea that viewing pornography normalizes exploitative sex. The people in it are usually actors, but the effect of viewing it is what’s damaging, and ditto here. Regardless of whether the people losing weight on tv are doing it to be happy, watching them do it, and taking home the message that overweight people are either a work in progress or should be ashamed of themselves, doesn’t really contribute anything positive to the discourse.
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“Taking home the message that overweight people are either a work in progress or should be ashamed of themselves, doesn’t really contribute anything positive to the discourse.”
-that is a beautiful quote!! I am going to put this is a discussion title and link this article to my dietetics class. For a whole bunch of people (mostly girls) preparing to serve the country in a health capacity, the amount of fat shaming and blaming is horrendous. I have left classes on the verge of tears, just thinking about if there were any overweight people in our class (which there aren’t, big surprise there, a bunch of ex-athletes or current athletes) how humiliated they would feel. It is disgraceful, unproductive, and extends throughout the whole medical community, resulting in poor service and bias to thinking that the glutinous “sloths” in our society cannot be fixed. It really is a major failure, that no one is addressing openly.
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Beautifully said Rebecca and Jenna! Couldn’t agree more.
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Tell me more about your dietetics class! I’m thinking about doing a masters in nutrition and dietetics and am not an athlete. I have heard many of the girls are borderline eating disordered themselves. Do you enjoy it? Anything would be great as I don’t know anyone in real life to ask! x
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The dietetics is good, but it is true that many of the girls come from a disordered eating background, or still have disordered eating. It is a stigmatized environment, but is ripe for learning. Many excellent profs are there to change opinions and stereotypes, and dietetics organizations are making a big push to remove the label of “fat haters” from the dietetics discourse. Sometimes it is hard, but that is often true of the jobs in which there is oppurtunity to make the most impact! I would recommend it, the masters program is very different than what I am in, but I’m sure has the same veins running throughout.
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The problem here is that, we, as a nation have a completely distorted view of what ‘health’ is. I know people trash it all the time, but honestly, statistically measurements like BMI and waist measurements are the best way to gauge if you are healthy! I agree that people can be thin and unhealthy and in some rare cases overweight and healthy, but we need to face facts! Being overweight or obese and the related illness caused by it kills so many people and what’s even more frustrating is that it’s completely preventable!
Photoshopping aside, the images of Michelle and Tiffiny are exactly the type of images I want my sisters, friends, daughters and family to look up to (not necessarily in the nude!)! They are healthy and fit! That’s inspiring! Not so stickly thin that they look like children…
As for claims that people need to train 8 hours a day to achieve a healthy weight range, this is simply not true. A moderated diet and 30 – 60 minutes of exercise will do that easily. And, if John Howard had time every day to exercise, I defy anyone else to say that they are too busy to exercise. It’s just an excuse.
In the last 3 months I’ve lost 13 kgs. I’ve gone from being obese by BMI to the middle of overweight on the range. People have commended my weight loss and I appreciate that. When I tell them I have another 12kgs to lose, they mock me and tell me I’ll be too thin. When actually I’ll be at the upper end of ‘healthy’ by BMI.
Happiness isn’t measured by how much you weigh. But it’s a damn sight easier to be happy when you can run 5km, feel your muscles develop and get an endorphin rush only exercise can deliver. Now that’s confidence!
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Also, Michelle Bridges makes this statement which is to “ask yourself if you are being the best version of yourself”? I don’t think you have to be stick thin to answer yes to that question, but it really resonates with me. I want to be the best version of myself.
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michelle bridges is fantastic
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I do her DVDs, and I love in one of the workouts she’s talking about getting (I think) a great bum. She says: “It’s right here. On a plate. All you’ve got to do is work for it”. I think it’s the last sentence that people have an issue with.
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I respectfully disagree that health can be measured exclusively with BMI and waist measures- and your point that people think you will be “too thin” at a “healthy” BMI could be a very valid judgement.
BMI is flawed. How can we believe so fervently in a measurement system that does not distinguish between genders? Or, for that matter, age? I don’t know, if I see a man and a woman who are the same height side-by-side, I do not anticipate that in order for each of them to be healthy, they have to weigh the exact same amount. Same with me, a 20 year old, standing next to my mother, a 50 year old- we are fundamentally different! She has had 3 children, runs marathons, and does farm labour, while I spend my time studying at university, hitting the gym, and working restaurant shifts. She weighs more than me, but could absolutely tune me in a 5 km race.
I always use my family as an example when I show people the obvious flaws of the BMI. I am almost the exact average woman: my measurements are only 2 lbs below that for the average Canadian woman. But I am qualified as overweight. High end overweight too- and I was low end overweight according to the BMI when I was a lightweight rower! After I quit rowing, it was imperative that I gain some weight because I hadn’t had my period in a year and felt uncomfortable sitting in a chair my butt got so bony. My doctor recommended that I gain weight…and yet according to the BMI I should have carried on and dropped off my pounds.
My dad is a 50 year old male, and he weighs around 200 lbs at 5″10. That puts him in the low end of obese. Which is interesting, because my dad has a 6 pack, runs up a mountain beside our house everyday, and is considered by most to be simply a stocky, but slender, guy.
So, when they put of the statistics of our 50% obese or overweight population, it includes many, many, MANY people who are just a little stocky, on the short side, or minorities (who tend to have a shorter stature according to Canadian statistics, and the shorter you are the worse your BMI will look).
Maybe you do want to lose weight- but the be-all-and-end-all of driving down to a “healthy” BMI is like trying to stuff our diverse population into the same glove. And I say this as an almost-dietitian (1 more year)…
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The BMI is flawed sure, but as a population measure it’s ok. It’s not a be all and end all measure, but except for the 5% of the population who are athletes and have a lot of lean body mass that would skew their results, it’s a good indicator of where you are on the continuum. It’s an initial measure which depending on your category, will hopefully motivate you to see your GP or start on a healthy path. The other 5% know it’s not a suitable measure for them anyway.
I don’t see anything wrong with it.
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BMI is flawed, but it is a good guide. It might be a little bit off for certain individuals, but if your BMI puts you in the obese category, and you aren’t an elite athlete, at the very least you are overweight.
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I think “a little bit flawed” is an understatement; let’s look at the groups that are biased towards an overweight BMI: women (in general), Hispanics, many different areas of Africa, most of Asia (shorter on average), Inuits (short and stocky stature in general), Polynesians, Indigenous groups (from my experience, particularly First Nations tribes on the west coast have inaccurate readings), anyone short, the upper middle age group (50-60), athletes, and anyone of stocky stature.
The BMI was originally created by insurance companies to allow the charging of different premiums, based on a “healthy” 25 year old man and women (fully clothed). When we adjusted BMI measurements in the early 90′s, it kick started the statistics that are so often cited in the obesity epidemic.
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I weigh a LOT, thanks to a hereditary condition, and many people see me as part of a problem. Instead of fretting about my BMI — did you know that “overweight” people on the BMI scale actually live longer? — I focus on enjoying my favorite exercise (swimming) and being the best person I can be. Don’t try to tell me how to live my life and I won’t tell you how to live yours.
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The first time I saw those naked pictures of the trainers I just thought ‘this is all kinds of wrong’.
I can’t pin point exactly why, but there’s something about it that seems arrogant and unnecessary.
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Mabye what seems wrong is that it is just the female trainers who have gone the full nude?
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I think its because they have no body hair……. LMAO (well I laugh after just waxing, and I’m not looking as smooth as that!! I mean why can you never get all the hair off)
On a serious note, why are the women fully nuddy and the boys just the chest up? the posing is ridiculous.
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Im not sure how we as a community can reconcile accepting overweight as a legitimate thing for people to be and not an undesirable condition, whilst criticising the parents of overweight children for allowing it to happen.
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I’m so glad you wrote this, Meshel.
I saw those Excess Baggage ads with Kate D sitting on the Channel 9 logo and squashing it and felt so sick and sad for her. It reminded me of the send up Jack Black did in Tropic Thunder about ‘The Fatties’ film series, only there was no critical sattire intended by EB – they were making a joke at her expense.
And when I saw the billbord with a naked Michelle Bridges in that oh-so-overused ‘body confidence nude pose’ (a la Jen Hawkins, Deb Hutton et al), with the caption ‘Learn to love your body’ I was so annoyed – isn’t it supposed to be about the contestants loving themselves? I’d rather see a photo of last year’s winner, looking confident and happy in their body, even if they’re still well over the average weight for a model.
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Maybe watch a full episode before writing an article on it Mishel, eh? The message on the show is that fit & strong is healthy. Few people finish the show ‘skinny’, but they walk out in finale with huge smiles, more energy, and heaps more confidence.
While I cringe at the crappy games like the chocolate one you mentioned, the fitness transformations & confidence building often bring a tear to the eye. And I dare say are the reason the show kills it it ratings every year.
Research before writing,
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I tend to agree with you. While there is a bit of ‘stare at the fat people’ in it, many of the contestants are at a point where they could die any day. They need desperate help to change.
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I love the biggest loser. I’m a fairly fit and slim person but like most people, sometimes find it hard to get motivated to train. I find when I watch the biggest loser and see how hard these people work, sometimes until they’re physically sick, it makes me think to myself “get your butt out there get into it you lazy bugger”. I also love in the show observing when each contestant has their “breakthrough” moment and realizes that they alone are responsible for their own actions (not their dad who fed them hot chips when they were 10!!) and can change their lives if that’s what they want to do.
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Thin does not equal healthy.
There are healthy fat people, and unhealthy thin people. And all sorts inbetween.
I recommend Ragen’s blog (Dances With Fat) for some intelligent commentary and great articles.
Such as discussing the complaint that “obesity costs us money”:
http://danceswithfat.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/your-money-and-my-fat-ass/
That we should focus on health, not on weight:
http://danceswithfat.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/11-reasons-to-focus-on-health-rather-than-weight/
There’s tons of good stuff there.
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I totally agree with you that there are unhealthy thin people out there (I know one quite well) and there are healthy fat people. But the people on the Biggest Loser are not healthy fat people, and I think all of them would agree with me when I say that. Maybe I’m wrong, but from the sorts of comments they were making about their habits on the show last night, it seems as though they don’t think they’re too healthy.
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Yes but the show doesn’t focus on health, it focuses on dramatic weight loss. It’s a terrible approach to getting people healthy.
Google “Health at Every Size” (HAES) for a much better alternative.
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I really miss when they did those cooking and nutrition classes on the show. At least there was SOMEthing in the way of promoting health living, not just ‘exercise your heart out then jump on the scales’.
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I disagree. they do testing to measure their cholesterol, blood pressure etc. and contrast these at the start and end of their “journey”. they educate the contestants about nutrition and exercise and aim to establish a healthier lifestyle and behavioural patterns.
weight loss is the focus for the competitive side of the show, which while not ideal, is necessary to get people watching. perhaps they should vote out the “unhealthiest” person each week where they are measured on a whole range of tests…. mmm seems unrealistic!
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I have never watched the Biggest Loser. The first and only time I turned it on was during its first season. There were images of people making what I can only describe as ‘donut castles’ by carrying donuts in their mouths and stacking them on top of each other. Needless to say, I was freaking appalled and voted with my feet by switching it off and never ever watching another second.
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From the lady who said that Michael Clark has gone from strength to strength since he had that mole removed (referring to Lara Bingle I presume) on a highly rated national television show, it is a bit rich to say society shouldn’t judge others…
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IMO, BL is nowhere near as bad as those makeover shows where people win lipo or nosejobs etc. At least the contestants here have to do the hard yards to get where they want to, and they change all sorts of things on the way.
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I hate the idea that this series is based on making these people ‘lovable’, that they are unlovable until they lose weight and become what society perceives as beautiful. I suspect the Biggest Loser ‘recruiters’ choose people who, when they lose weight, will have the other ‘beautiful’ physical features to fit the mould – pretty faces, nice hair etc. It’s all about image on this show…
When will there be a reality show that focuses solely on health, rather than body image? I’m a big girl, and all that motivates me to lose weight is the toll that my ‘excess baggage’ is taking on my health. That’s all that should really matter, but the media will never let that truth be heard when they can exploit people to perpetuate a stupid myth of beauty.
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I agree, but…
Don’t you think there’s a ring of truth to wanting to look your best when you’re dating? Wouldn’t you agree that most people feel sexier and more confident when they’re not overweight? Is it possible they will widen their field of potential partners by trimming down a bit?
I’m not a fan of the Biggest Loser process, but I do believe the show transforms bodies and lives.
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From what I saw of the first episode last night, the idea isn’t to make them ‘loveable’ to others. They are talking about helping them to love themselves, so that they can love others.
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Making themselves “loveable” to themselves probably shouldn’t include character attacks and unnecessary humiliation. A school yard taunt doesn’t inspire you to change so you love yourself- it inspires you to change so people will accept you, because they didn’t accept you as a person before.
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I didn’t see any school yard taunting of the contestants on the show, can you tell me which comments you’re referring to?
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Character attacks and unnecessary humiliation? Where? Who?
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@ Yeah! I have to agree with you on that point, I’m about 10 kilos over my ideal BMI and I know I have a limited range of potential partners because of it. All I’m getting on the dating sites at the moment are the old men and frankly I don’t want to date a guy who looks like he’s about to have twins either so I’m slimming down on a healthy eating plan.
I just want to be the best and healthiest version of myself.
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I’d just like to say that my Husband honestly does not see size. He honestly does not.
I don’t believe anyone who would be worth dating would not date you because of your size.
I approve of you wanting to be the best and healthiest version of yourself, but you should only want that for you, not a prospective partner.
Also – don’t eliminate a guy just because of his size.
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Oh, c’mon, Miss T…
Usually, I love your comments. But when you’re looking for a life partner, they have to be someone you want to get naked with!
Of course, everyone has a different definition of that. But, personally, I wouldn’t want to get naked with anyone who I couldn’t put my arms all the way around. I don’t think that’s unfair or unreasonable.
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What frustrates me with this show is that its methods are all wrong. Yes these people might be dangerously obese and in desperate need of help, but making them suffer through exercise their body clearly can’t handle and the shock of a dramatic diet change all at once? I find it uncomfortable to watch these ‘contestants’ push themselves at hardcore training sessions when so many of them haven’t exercised in a very long time. That’s serious stress to put a body through, especially just for ‘entertainment’.
Then, when they have literally spent more hours in the gym then a full time job and a nutritionist detailing every morsel that they eat for months… after the finale they are just out on their own. No support, no follow ups, and I believe a lack of understanding about their food issues in the first place – because it is so focused on the number on the scales and the outward appearance, when the true change has to be in their attitude and respect of themselves.
Is it any wonder so many contestants regain weight after the show is over? Which, of course, is detailed in a trashy weekly women’s magazine for us to tut-tut and judge them all over again… it’s such an unhealthy cycle. And again, focused on outward appearances.
And this year has the added twist of everyone being single. Because, naturally, we need to show the world that the only way these people will find love is for them to lose weight and look prettier.
I will gladly give this a miss.
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Cannot stand Michelle Briggs or Tiffany Hall, they think they are God’s gift!! Like we should all aspire to be just like them. Don’t even get me started on the show, have so many mixed emotions on that. Great read Meshel!
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Jealousy isn’t acceptance either. Just because Michelle & Tiffany are fit, strong and confident, doesn’t mean they think ‘they are god’s gift’. Both have had stories of their own demons over the years. Both have had a huge & healthy influence on people’s lives.
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we should aspire to be like them i.e. healthy, fit and confident! I met Tiffany Hall in 2010, she did a workshop with my year 12 class about motivation and confidence, and she was very down to earth. confident, yes, but who wouldn’t be? she’s a black belt, (taught us how to break a board in half with our hand haha), has had books and articles published and is healthy and happy. hell I’d be one confident chick if I had achieved that!
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And it helps when you have looks like that too!
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I think Tiff is hilarious and massively fit but I don’t find her attractive. She has nice hair I guess
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I have a love/hate relationship with BL, as with many reality shows. I don’t have much respect for people who put their hands up to be humiliated on tv, whatever their motivation. I have a problem with rapid weight loss & what it does to the human body- yoyo dieting since I was 13 has left me overweight & struggling to be a healthy weight. And as for the idea that you have to 1. Be skinny to be loved and 2. Be in a relationship to be happy- give me a break! That’s disgusting! However, I do love the twitter stream and I tweet silly comments through the show. I don’t think my comments are vile barbs (although I’m ashamed to say I did post a joke about the firefighter sitting on fires to put them out. Probably a bit nasty, but not meant to be at the time). Most of my comments- and the others on the stream- are about the stupid things the trainers say (Tiffiny Hall & her “ninjas”, for instance), the silliest quotes from the contestants (“love is grouse”), the set up situations (just happening to be eating cake when the trainers turn up at their house? Hmmm), the dumb challenges, the scales that bounce up and down… this show is VERY dumb! For those defending the weight loss/ exercise regime, be aware that some of the contestants are left with permanent injuries from the show, despite the medics standing by. Older people carrying a lot of weight can only push tendons and ligaments so far! I’m sorry if I’ve offended people with my tweets. I’m not a bully (I hope), I tweet under my own name and photo, and I have followers who know me in real life- and as a teacher I’d be horrified to think I was encouraging name-calling or hateful behavior. But I do think the show is a legitimate target for ridicule. And sorry again about the fire-fighting joke!
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I watched it, and I cried within about 5 minutes. These beautiful people are in pain and this is an opportunity for them to change a lot of things about themselves. The journey that they go on, whether exploitative or not, is really touching and I love watching them slog it out and grow as people. Because they do grow. They don’t aspire to “be like Tiffany in the buff”; they want to love themselves and love another person and have a family. They want what you have, Meshel – and if this is what it takes for them to get it, good on them, I say.
I watch with compassion. Every week. And it also helps me to be thankful for my life, and reminds me to treat myself well and with respect.
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Well you opened a can of worms here! But i guess that is your intention. Here’s my opinion.
Do you know what weight loss regime they follow? You would have to in order to write your comment.
I know the principles of what the red team follows and I followed those same principles in 2011. I lost 48 kilos and learnt how to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. It is not just about weight loss. It is about everything you gain in the process. I’m strong, fit, healthy, confident and medically very sound according to my GP.
I am still following the principles I learnt last year as this lifestyle is forever. I still train 6 days per week. I still eat nutritious food to fuel my body. I don’t eat any junk food and I don’t miss it or want it.
You can’t make everyone happy but who cares? I used to be a size 24 and “the fat one” and now I am a cute size 10-12 i get called “skinny mini/tiny” everyday at work. I hate both labels but I love who I am now and that’s all that matters.
TBL shows me that it takes Damn Hard Work to achieve goals worth achieving. I’ve done it and commend the contestents for doing it in the public eye. Hopefully their journeys are the light-bulb moment other people need to actually improve their own lifestyles instead of sitting on the couch and just think about it.
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” i love who I am now”
Don’t you mean “I love how I LOOK now”?, because WHO you are hasn’t changed, just the packaging.
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I Iove that I am strong, fit and confident now. I wasn’t any of those things in my 110kg body.
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I Iove that I am strong, fit and confident now. I wasn’t any of those things in my 110kg body.
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I think that’s the point; who you are does change when you change the packaging.
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Good on you Splasharama! Sure, you look in the mirror and feel good, but I bet it’s not just because you wear a smaller jeans size, it would also be because there is a healthy and radiant face staring back at you, bursting with health. Life is easier to get through now because you don’t have the equivalent of bags of oranges hanging onto your legs. It is that feeling inside that you get, literally FEELING your body working better. Anonymous, making it about appearances is too simplistic.
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I didn’t even realise it was on! Not interested in the slightest it all seems rather cruel and unusual. Wife Swap on the other hand…
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Oh how I love Wife Swap
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Is TV exploitative? Yes. But that’s happens to every reality contestant whether they weigh 50 or 150kgs.
I watched Biggest Loser last night and saw a 24 year old girl talk about how she had never had a boyfriend or be kissed. She was a beautiful, sweet girl and my heart went out to her.
Many similar stories followed. What I got out of the episode was these people are there to learn how to love themselves. They do get psychiatrist help and counseling behind the scenes.
It’s sad that we live in a world where looks are so important and being overweight to some is considered unattractive.
But if going on the Biggest Loser and losing weight helps this young girl love herself enough to go out and find love, who am I to dismiss her?
Also – on a side note, 99% of the tweets I saw last night for the biggest loser were supportive and positive towards the contestants. And Meshel – while I have a different take on this topic, I love you on Can of Worms!
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Not gonna lie, I actually found at least two of the male contestants on TBL last night very attractive. I was at my tv thinking ‘reow!’
Obviously these people are looking in the wrong places for love if they’re not getting picked up by awesome single women like me
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I think those shows are revolting and will never watch them.
This article pretty much sums up my feelings:
http://the-billablog.blogspot.com/2012/01/dont-be-loser.html
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I feel like the show kind of insinuates that you have to be skinny to find love. I see fat couples everywhere. Where do they find eachother?
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I said the same thing to my hubby last night! “I see overweight people in relationships all the time! Why can’t they find someone?”
But I think that is actually the whole point of why they are making this show about lurve. These contestants don’t love themselves enough to find love in someone else. That’s why they are single – not because they are fat, but because they don’t love themselves enough to give themselves a chance in love. Maybe they don’t love themselves because they are fat, but I bet it’s not just about that for most of them.
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I stopped the “counter-video” at the statements by these people that they are healthy. They may have high self-confidence and be happy, which is great. But I can’t see how they can be healthy. Obesity is clearly linked to higher risks of stroke, heart attack, heart disease and kidney failure. To me, these people are fooling themselves and trying to convince others that it’s ok for them to be obese too. Of course it’s ok but it comes at a cost. Whether you can still ride a bike or run around with your kids, being obese has implications.
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Completely agree with this. The difference between myself now exercising more and eating better, and me 10kg heavier and skipping breakfast 3 years ago is huge – and I am sooooo much healthier I can feel it in every step I take and in every smile I give out each day!
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With full respect, these comments I always find so misguided- “You can be happy with yourself at any size, but…”
The problem is, when you judge people who are overweight, regardless of the reason (which you don’t know- anti-psychotic meds, physical injury, depression, yo-yo dieting…), and make the decision on their behalf that they are killing themselves, you do so from a position that does not respect them. Sure you can say “I respect them enough to tell them they are killing themselves”- a statement that has been said many times, to the gay community, the unemployed, and many more characters in history that have been considered morally corrupt. And that’s how we view obesity- a group of completely unaware, uneducated, unintelligent, uncontrolled, gluttonous, and slothful group, who need to be told what is right for their bodies. It is the “impure” section of our society that we have identified, and now we set out to shame and lynch them from our masses, so they won’t corrupt our children and infiltrate our hospitals. This is an age-old fear.
How helpful is it telling someone who’s overweight that “Yeah, maybe you are happy and feel healthy while you are overweight, but you are going to die”? Is it productive? Does it inspire change? Does it come completely out of the blue, did they not know they were overweight?
I’ve had clients in my internships that have had people on the bus just give them completely uninvited health advice. Their doctors have told them that it’s a “simple equation of calories-in and calories-out” while holding a chart that outlines the millions of wild and wonderful ways their hormones are strongly effecting their metabolism and slowing it way down.
If you are happy with who you are, and are motivated through a desire to increase your mobility, decrease your meds, or any other reason to lose weight, you still won’t get the support. How many gyms are set up for a very overweight or obese person? How many of my clients get cat calls when they go jogging, get slapped on the butt as they bike by, get yelled at my kids and adults a like that “you’re almost at MacDonald’s, one more block!”?
The message is already out there- if you want to be better, you will be thinner. The comments that critique individuals who are accepting their bodies in their life, and enjoying the way they are right now, are not helping.
I’m sorry I loaded this whole reply on you, Anonymous, I couldn’t help myself however when I saw that “BUT”!
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I understand your sentiments in the post and also agree that the methods used in the show are sometimes cruel and degrading, however the people who choose to go on these shows obviously feel like they need to go to such extremes to get their lives in shape and I say well done to them for doing that.
I flicked ont it last night and didn’t see many people who could run around after kids and were what would be considered healthy. I saw people who admit that their lives were being held back because of their weight and had reached a stage where something drastic needed to be done so their lives could improve.
I don’t insult anyone for making that choice. I commend them for their bravery. Everyone who has ever tried knows how hard it is to try and lose weight and to do it on a television show in full view of the nation takes a very strong person in my opinion, and a person who shouldn’t be judged by anyone who thinks they know better.
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Agree with everything you’ve said, Trish!
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I was just about to sign up for Michelle Bridges 12 week challenge, and then I saw these publicity shots on the week-end. I can’t even articulate why, but I have a huge issue with them. Starting with a sense of smugness and arrogance perhaps??
Don’t really know, they just don’t sit right with me.
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It wasn’t the trainers’ idea, so I’m going to put it down to ‘silly tv marketing person’.
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Yeah and seeing Michelle on the 7pm Project or whatever it’s called these days, I think she would have gladly not done it if she had the choice.
Those shots irk me too. Why do we need to see them nekkid??
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I had the same reaction. I though Michelle and Tiffany had more self respect than that.
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Excellent post Meshel. Love your work!
I cannot stand the Biggest Loser because of the way people are treated on it. Whilst it is fabulous that the contestants learn to make healthier lifestyle choices the show is all about the competition.
BTW is it just me or is Michelle Bridges actually sucking her stomach in in those photo’s?
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Meshel Laurie ought to be the next The Circle host!!
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Yes! I love Meshel on the radio and whenever she’s on TV.
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too judgemental herself to be host
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