Blogcritics: Comments on TV Review: The Biggest Loser in Las Vegas

Comment by teletart

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 16:26:07 EDT

Well said, Julane. In fact, that first week, (at least as far as I could tell) they didn't even specify that one week had passed. So the contestants could have been there for several weeks to achieve those big losses. I'm thinking that measuring body fat probably wasn't an issue when they were all really big - at that point, any weight lost would likely be water and fat. But as they get thinner, it's totally relevant - some weeks, no loss is absolutely fine as your body recalibrates its fat to muscle ratio. Plus the more muscle you have, the more fat you'll burn down the track, even if you aren't rewarded with a loss on the scale right away. Yeah, it's kind of a double edged sword. If they didn't lose lots, it wouldn't be interesting to watch. But as far as motivating people at home, it sucks. I think that it's one of the key reasons people give up on diet and exercise programs - they want changes ASAP, and when things aren't that fast, they throw in the towel.

Comment by Julane

Thu, 27 Oct 2005 19:53:24 EDT

Not a big Vegas fan and this episode did not change my mind. The show would be a lot better if certain things were explained. For example, the first week people lost a lot of weight (as measured by the number on the scale), but the second week they didn't. Did anyone explain that the first week's loss is often mostly water weight, and that it is normal for the rate of weight-loss to slow down after that? No. Then last week people were working out many hours a day but not losing many pounds. Did anyone explain that muscle weighs more than fat, that the contestants were probably losing many pounds of body fat but gaining muscle weight so that the number did not reflect much of a loss? No. Why not measure their body fat periodically in addition to weighing them on the scale? In reality losing 10-20 pounds in a single week is very dangerous and it's not a good idea for people to try doing that at home. I worry about people who will try these methods and then not achieve what they are seeing on the show.

Comment by teletart

Fri, 14 Oct 2005 02:32:41 EDT

Hey, thanks Laura for pointing that out. I guess I missed the Jillian/Bob programs because I was focusing on their Biggest Loser 'club' stuff. You're right - those are some insane workout schedules, which I suspect no one who ISN'T on a reality show should follow. I'm also amused by how we were told the diet emphasis would be on whole foods - check out all that fat free cream cheese, sponsor's Jello, fat free mayo, fat free whipped cream, and low carb ketchup. Mmm, natural. Props to the contestants for working hard and seeing results - the show wouldn't be interesting if they didn't shrink, after all. But four hours of exercise a day? It's just not feasible for people with things like oh, jobs and families.

Comment by Laura Moncur

Thu, 13 Oct 2005 18:14:24 EDT

You can get the plan that they follow online for free on the NBC site. Jillian's plan is much more specific than Bob's, but they are both there. She has those boys exercising for almost four hours a day on 1200-1500 calories a day. No wonder they're losing 17 pounds in a week!

Comment by teletart

Thu, 6 Oct 2005 19:00:52 EDT

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Parker. The whole show just really irked me. A great example of why we need to always be critical of television, and be aware of what messages it's sending or endorsing - sometimes subtly, sometimes brazenly. As for the format thing - yeah, I take your point. It does seem odd to vote people off on a show that's supposedly about supporting them and seeing them through their journey. Then again, some lateral thinking about the whole premise might be too much to ask from a show that spends a good fifteen minutes of airtime doing weigh-ins. You know, The Biggest Loser is really just one big missed opportunity. Why not share the diet and exercise tips and tools with the audience? But no, you've got to pay to join the online club for that secret info. Same with Dr Phil, same with the rest of them. If they can make a buck off America's diet obsession, why give out details for free? Jeez, now I'm really riled up.

Comment by parker

Thu, 6 Oct 2005 08:51:51 EDT

I agree with you on the gambling thing. Why would anyone take a bunch of folks with impulse control problems and addiction tendencies and introduce them to the pleasures of gambling? It makes no sense. They really need to rethink the structure of this show. I don't believe pitting the losers against each other works well. Why not have a reality show where all the contestents stay, and the biggest loser still wins in the end?