Biggest Loser Scam? You’re Freakin’ Kidding Me
Posted by Brad Campbell
30
Jul, 2010
Just Another Brad Campbell Rant…(by me)
Is the Biggest Loser a scam? Could this hit TV drama (oops, I meant weight loss documentary) be scandalous? Maybe just a tiny bit? Is it possible that the extreme fat loss results portrayed each week really weren’t as impressive as they seemed?
Gee, ya think?
For those of you who thought the miraculous, jaw-dropping averages (of fat loss) that most contestants were hitting each week, was actually doable…think again.
Oh, and the Tooth Fairy didn’t come and leave you money in exchange for your teeth when you were younger, either…after all, Tooth Fairies would have no need for money.
They carry a wand and fly for crying out loud (it was probably your parents who left the money after the Tooth Fairy had swooped in and grabbed your baby chompers). Duh…
Sorry, where was I? Oh yeah, the Biggest Loser and how Jillian and Bob freakin’ rock…
Seriously, I know most trainers and fitness pros hate these two ‘celebrities,’ but c’mon…you’re telling me you wouldn’t take that kind of money and fame to go jump on peoples’ backs and yell in their face? Sure you would.
It’s the show that irritates me. Because it confuses the hell outta the average person looking to drop some pounds (or kilos, depending on which side of the pool you’re on). Let’s face it, our society is pretty damn gullible and if they see contestants on this show losing as much as 31 lbs in 7 days (I think that was the record, but don’t quote me…I didn’t care enough to look it up)…well, you know what they’re gonna think–that they can do the same.
Then you have 200 lb guys and 150 lb girls thinking they had a bad week if they only lost 1-3 lbs. It’s misleading as hell and it’s all done for money. I mean, would anyone watch a single episode if it wasn’t filled with a heart-wrenching plot, tear-jerking scenes and a miraculous ending where the underdog does the unthinkable? Hells no, we wouldn’t…
So it’s our fault. Kidding…
The Biggest Loser producers should take a little more caution with the powerful message they’re sending out with each of the 116 seasons that have aired so far. You can’t blame them for wanting to have great ratings and rake in the dough (who doesn’t do that?). It’s just that they could probably achieve that without having to exaggerate contestant fat loss results.
It’s obvious to anyone in the fitness industry that the results are completely bogus. The problem is that most people aren’t in the fitness industry and they’re easily persuaded into thinking super duper extreme weight loss results should resemble what they see on the ‘ole flat screen.
I’m not a big fan of lying to or misleading people, plus this damn show makes my job as a fat loss coach even harder…since everyone has this perception that double digit loses indicate a ‘good week’ of dieting.
The reality is that extreme fat loss in the real world is a lot less spectacular. Before I forget that the original point of this post was to put in a video of one of the former Biggest Loser contestants totally ripping apart the validity of the show, let’s roll that tape:
Hey, I’m all for pushing yourself hard and trying to outdo the safe industry standard of 1-2 lbs per week (yawn). It’s just that if we’re talking pure fat loss (and not loses in lean muscle mass or water weight), it’s nearly impossible to achieve much more than this. I thought this was a good video to give people a reality check about the artificial results portrayed on the Biggest Loser.
Plus, this chick has some balls to go public and spit the truth like that. Can you imagine the look on the faces of any big wigs over at NBC when they saw this interview? I’m sure they’ll slap a lawsuit on her so fast it’ll make her head spin…so props to her for voicing the truth. At least it’ll open the eyes of some and give them a clearer vision of what’s actually possible with ‘extreme weight loss.’
What’s your take on the Biggest Loser scam? Overall, do you think the show is positive or negative for everyone at home who’s being influenced by it? What about the characters Bob and Jillian play–yay or nay? Side note, I think Jillian looks amazing in that picture (you go, girl).
Talk to you below. Don’t forget to read how to get ripped without weights and carb cycling for fat loss (both killer blog posts… sorry, there goes my horn again… I’m always tooting that damn thing).
Your Coach,
Brad Campbell
For hardcore workouts, try these out: SEALs Workouts
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