Why The Biggest Loser is a Failure
The Biggest Loser on NBC is a failure. No – it is not a failure in terms of ratings. It is a ratings winner for NBC. For those who have watched from the beginning may remember that it actually started as a one-hour show. It has been so popular they immediately moved it to a two-hour show. On a side note, the only way to what the Biggest Loser is with a Tivo or some kind of digital recording device. You can watch the whole two-hour show in about an hour with the fast forward button.
The Biggest Loser is not a failure in terms of bringing a “freak show” to your living room every week. The challengers are getting way too big. Each season the goal is to get fatter and fatter people on the show. It appeals to our curiosity the same way we slow down to watch a car accident or even smell the milk when it turns sour just to see how bad it really smells! If the show keeps on this pace they will actually have circus elephants on the show in a couple of years. I am confident they will show the weight loss before after pictures of the elephants at the end of every show.
Where the Biggest Loser is a total failure is actually showing people how to lose weight. It is very well documented from People Magazine to Time Magazine to Wikipedia on how at least half of the past contestants have gained the majority of their weight back. Contestants who finished in the top 3 have gained their weight back. Erik, the winner of the 3rd season who lost 214 pounds was on Oprah to tell how he gained it all back. At some point in regaining the 214 pounds – don’t you realize there is a big problem? Why would you not have your weight loss before after pictures on your refrigerator, desk, night stand and in your car to remind you where you came from?
If you want to see what a sham the show is behind the scenes, do an Internet search on the term “Kai Hibbard” and you will be amazed about what really goes on behind the scenes. You will be amazed when you read her story about spitting out the milk after shooting the milk commercial. She also has some great weight loss before after pictures that include pre-show / post-show / and now.
So how does someone like Erik who loses 214 pounds gain it all back? It is simple – the Biggest Loser teaches the contestants nothing about real life. How many of us can workout in a gym for 8 hours a day with a professional trainer? How many of us can have other people buy our food and prepare it for us? There is not a sense of reality in this reality show.
If you want this to be a reality show, do not take people to a ranch with two professional trainers and a professional gym. Film this with people living at home and having to go to work each day. Dealing with business lunches, junk food in the cupboards, dealing with kids, spouses and pot lucks at work. When the Biggest Loser starts to show weight loss before after pictures that show people losing 214 pounds while living a real life at home – then the Biggest Loser with be a real reality show!