FGCU Social Problems - Berkovitz: The False Reality of The Biggest Loser

“The Biggest Loser” is a competitive reality show that features contestants who are extremely overweight, some of which weigh-in at over 400 pounds. The participants are put under a lot of pressure as they abruptly alter their normal sedentary lifestyles and undergo crash diets and intense exercise regimens with personal trainers and compete with each other. At the end of the show, the contestant who has lost the most weight wins $250,000. With their eyes on the prize, participants undergo very unhealthy living situations and have been known to dehydrate themselves and lose up to 20 pounds a week, which has been deemed unsafe by medical professionals who are not affiliated with the show. This poses a problem because viewers of the show who are inspired by this incredible weight loss get a false sense of reality and put themselves in danger when they try to imitate what they have seen on the show. Also, given the intense regimens of the contestants on the program that many people do not have the money to imitate, it is evident that the program is purely for entertainment, which poses a problem when people take it seriously.

            The contestants on the show are put in rather unnatural circumstances. They practically spend an entire three-month period devoting their lives to getting fit. Many of the show’s viewers who are inspired to lose weight do not have the resources to actually go through the extreme regimen that those on the show go through. Having a personal trainer and gym is very costly. Additionally, knowing that millions of people will be watching as they attempt this challenge is surely a motivator that viewers of the show cannot duplicate.Furthermore, contestants on the show are not put in everyday situations for the three-month period when they are filming. They are under strict supervision so that they do not cheat on their diets and spend up to six hours a day exercising. In the real world, it is unlikely that a person would have the willpower and means to diet as they do on the show and it is also implausible for someone to be able to give that much time out of their day to a strenuous workout (let alone the fact that it is unhealthy to strain the body in such a way).

            It is evident that the people who take this show seriously and watch it in the hopes of duplicating the fitness regimens and diets that are featured are given unrealistic expectations. Moreover, the type of weight loss that goes on in “The Biggest Loser” is not only impractical but is very dangerous. These extreme diets and workouts are a quick-fix and cause harm to the body in the long term. Tactics demonstrated in the show such as dehydration and crash diets before a weigh-in are harmful to the body’s metabolism and make it easier for the body to gain weight in the future. In fact, many of the contestants regained 20 percent of their weight once the show was over. This is because they are unable to keep up the intense fitness regimens that they set for themselves while being filmed, so their bodies are more prone to gaining weight when they switch to a normal lifestyle (defined as one without nutritionists or unlimited time to spend at the gym).

Nutritionists advise patients to lose only two pounds a week, while the show features contestants losing as much as 20 pounds a week. Losing mass amounts of weight like this can cause medical problems such as irregular heartbeat, weakening of the heart muscle, and loss of essential potassium and electrolytes. Medical professionals who are not affiliated with the show speculate that they would not be surprised if a contestant had a heart attack because of what their bodies are going through. It’s clear that the contestants on this show are obese at the start of the season. Based on common sense, it is not a good idea for a person who is not physically fit to suddenly change his or her lifestyle and participate in strenuous workouts. This was proven when on the first day of filming, contestants were forced to race each other in a mile-long beach run. The challenge ended up sending two people to the hospital; one collapsed from a heat stroke, and one suffered from dehydration, low blood sugar, and low blood pressure. These people were not in good physical shape, so to put them under demanding workout conditions was very dangerous. It would be not only more logical, but also more health conscious, to ease contestants into these diets and workout routines slowly. But of course, that would not make for good TV.

Based on the previously stated evidence, it is clear that this show is purely for entertainment and is not meant to be taken seriously as a weight loss guide. While the program is categorized under reality television, it truly epitomizes the opposite of that as it gives viewers a very false sense of reality and imposes unrealistic standards for weight loss. Besides the fact that the show does not feature healthy weight loss tips or even a legitimate nutritionist, there are more reasons why it should not be taken seriously by viewers. If the show was genuinely meant to reflect “reality”, it would not be necessary for the producers to hold casting calls. Obviously, the purpose of casting calls is to get contestants who are particularly dramatic or have interesting personality traits, as this is what brings in ratings. Weight loss is a serious and personal process, and it is exploited and dramatized on this program for the purpose of bringing in ratings. It is upsetting that the people on the show are willing to deal with the embarrassment of going through this in front of millions of people simply for the chance to win a quarter million dollars. Even if they are on the show because they truly want to lose weight, this is not the appropriate manner to go about doing it.

Clearly, “The Biggest Loser” was not developed in order to motivate people to lose weight; it was developed for entertainment purposes. The problem is that not everybody understands that. Some people watch the show and attempt the crash diets and exercises that are shown with the false hope that it will get them the same results that they have witnessed on the show. Obviously, this is highly unlikely and dangerous if attempted. What the show fails to mention is that its practices are not safe and should not be duplicated. This fact is covered up by the mass amounts of editing that go into the production of a program of this nature. Once the show is edited, the producers cleverly leave out the dangerous aspects of it and only feature the vigorous journey and seemingly impressive results that come from it.

A possible solution to this problem would be to edit the current content and tone of the show. It is not necessary to completely change the basis of it, as this is what makes the program one of NBC’s most-watched shows other than football. Instead, the program could provide healthy eating and dieting tips and reasonable suggestions to viewers. Additionally, there should be strong and consistent disclaimers during the show that warn people about the danger in what they are seeing and that they should not try to imitate it at home. Doing this will lessen the credibility that the program may have had, but at least then it will be an honest portrayal and viewers will not have a skewed understanding of reality. To conclude, the show features unrealistic exercise regimens and diets in monetary and health aspects. It is evident that the purpose of the program is not to motivate people to lose weight. Rather, it is intended purely for entertainment purposes and that should be made clearer throughout the program.

This entry was posted on 21. April 2010 at 02:36 and is filed under Social Problems. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.