So I promised to blog about two things...but I am old and forgot one of them....the other was the recent finale of The Biggest Loser. So here is my two cents.
Before the finale aired my hubby had come across some stories of how previous winners had gone on liquid diets, spent time in saunas, etc to be at the lowest weight possible for the final weigh in. I get that there is a LOT of money on the line.....BUT.....the show is SUPPOSED to be about getting healthy (I realize the producers probably only care about ratings, but I do believe that Jillian and Bob sincerely enjoy helping people overcome the issues that brought about their weight problems.)
As usual, I don't have the answers. I do think there need to be some tweeks to figure out how to stop contestants from hurting themselves. Maybe more oversight while they are at home. Blood work done regularly should be able to detect dehydration or other detrimental things they do to themselves.
Rachel may have won the money but she was NOT the winner and probably really was THE Biggest loser...she seems to have replaced one unhealthy eating habit with another. She is 1 inch taller than me and over 20 pounds lighter than me....she is 24 and looks 10 years older. She seems to have some serious psychological issues. Maybe the show could have a psychologist in addition to the medical doctor.
Some argue that they, too, would do anything to win a quarter of a million dollars. But take a minute and really think about it....would you risk your LIFE for that? Would you be willing to spend who knows how much time trying to recover from a new eating disorder? It's not like you can really just put the weight back on and bam you are healthy....that kind of loss does damage to your heart...mentally you are now in a different place, will she be able to put weight back on without being fearful of putting it ALL back on? Hell, I would be beating myself up for "cheating"...these contestants have a hard time accepting that they deserve a good life, many have bottomed out in the self esteem department. What happens when she starts thinking about HOW she won...will she feel like she deserved it?
The show has been on many years and it's probably more surprising that more contestants haven't ended up anorexic or bulemic. Everyone waits for the contestants to "fail" in the real world and get fat again...that alone would cause too much pressure on even the most confident people. The follow ups seem to show a lot of the contestants remain successful, but how many don't?
I applaud the show for all of the good it has done, I believe many lives have been saved by this show and many more lives changed in immeasurable ways. I decided to fulfill my lifelong dream of running a marathon because of this show. I had thought I was too old. But I watched people, some older, but all not as physically fit do it and realized it wasn't out of my reach. Because of that it changed everything I believed about my age and myself. I don't put on a limit on anything I can do now...I have learned it doesn't hurt to try and you will never succeed if you don't try!
I am waiting with curiosity and hope that the show will address this issue so it can continue helping people realize they can get healthy...the key word being healthy...not thin, or skinny...just healthy!
I think the show misses an opportunity to get people more involved by spending too much time with weigh in drama when they could be providing simple exercises that anyone could be doing on commercial breaks. I like them spotlighting viewers who have lost weight on their own at home and feel like they could reach more people with a little "Hey you..on the sofa---why not do some leg lifts while you watch the following ads"...Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge...."Put down the chips and have some celery sticks"....Would that alienate their heavier viewers? I don't know...but watching that bony girl come out THAT will alienate me, if they don't find a way to make sure it doesn't happen again. I did appreciate that Bob and Jillian looked shocked and both made statements acknowledging what everyone was thinking. Hopefully the show won't bury it's head and hope we forget by next season.
***** For those that don't know me, the comparison of my weight doesn't mean much, so let me clarify...I am 5'3 and hover between 125 and 130....I would like to think that is just about right and can not imagine being 20 pounds lighter and an inch taller...I definitely think I would look bony and unhealthy.
No comments:
Post a Comment