The Biggest Loser

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Who watched the finale of Channel Ten’s The Biggest Loser?

I caught the end of it and found it pretty fascinating. The crowd was going nuts, the contestants were loving it and each of the ‘trainers’ (a term that is used loosely) were all sitting there looking smug – in case you didn’t know I’m not a fan of the show.

Anyway the contestants had all lost a lot of weight and were all proud of their efforts – which is a huge achievement and it’s great to see each them more involved in health and fitness as a result of their time spent with the ‘smash n bash em’ ‘trainers’. BUT did anyone notice how poorly each one of the contestants moved? In my eye they still looked like crap, still ‘waddled’ as if they were still carrying the extra weight and looked as if they were barely held together at all.

I’ve never seen anything that resembles a healthy, individualised training session on The Biggest Loser. I do get that a lot of the drama and sweat and smashing of the contestants is part of making ‘good’ TV but is there no care for these people at all?

Each of the contestant’s poor quality of movement and instability is definitely the result of the lame ass trainers and their mindless, idiotic training sessions. They haven’t done these people a favour or made them healthy, they’ve just given them a smashed, dysfunctional body.

But no one cares about that stuff and the crowd just goes nuts and is obsessed with how much weight they have all lost.

This got me thinking again – what’s the big deal with weight, with the number? I can understand people wanting to looked toned and trim but why the obsession with the actual number?

‘I need to be 70kg to look good’. What does that mean?

What does it really mean to these contestants to pick an arbitrary number and decide that this is their goal weight? They aren’t cutting weight for a pro fight or any other sports event with a catch weight. Again I understand that it’s a TV show and can even appreciate the mental wellbeing associated with being at a certain weight for some people but again what’s the big deal with the actual number? This isn’t how humans should be thinking.

Shows like The Biggest Loser warp the perceptions of the general public and create a mental stigma fixated around ‘ideal’ weight. They also showcase that the only way to get in shape is to be smashed by an idiot commando.

Here’s some free advice about getting in shape and losing weight: Your body knows best!

When you’re living the way a human should – moving often and well (no gym machines or other fitness gimmicks), eating real foods (meat, veg, fruit, leaves, nuts, water), sleeping enough and well (7-8hrs a night) and feeling good and happy about yourself – your body will naturally settle into its own ideal weight (whatever it may be) and you will look and feel great.