Hey there guys. Today I was interested to read a news article highlighting infighting between two of The Biggest Losers Australian contestants that had spilled out onto the web.
It appears that Ajay Rochester had made accusations of unhealthy behaviour and actions during the show that simply reinforce how dreadful these shows are. From Ajay’s blog post, the following words are directed to Australian The Biggest Loser winner Adro Sarnelli:
you were starving, pale, had shallow breathing, low blood pressure, cracked lips and you were unable to stand on your own two feet – hardly a great advertisement for healthy weight loss…..
Ajay goes on to say that contestants were so physically unhealthy that filming of the final episode was not able to be done on the same day as the final weigh in as the contestants were looking too sickly.
Yet again unhealthy weight loss is given the spotlight rather then simple eating and healthy physical movement. Simple actions that have helped many of my patients regain health, reduce risk of heart attack and stroke and for many reduce the impact of diabetes and other metabolic diseases.
For this reason I frequently suggest my patients avoid watching shows like The Biggest Loser. Much of the advice on the show is not sustainable and in some cases not even safe. High stress, nationally publicised weigh ins with people branded as failures and booted off a show simply because another person was better at starving themselves is not the key to good physical or mental health.
It’s Time The Biggest Loser Was Booted
It’s time that shows like The Biggest Loser were put out to pasture. Their messages are not healthy from psychological, biological or ethical standpoints. It’s time we as a society embraced a new definition of health that is not based on scales. We need to encourage eating for health and the many benefits of simple daily movement. We need to celebrate and understand that people come in all shapes and sizes and that “perfect bodies” with washboards abs, tans and other “essential summer fashion accessaries” are not realistic for many people.
As I say to my patients, eat for health, include healthy movement into your day and your body will come to a natural equilibrium. Trying to force anything else is likely to lead to physical and psychological distress that is counter productive and unhealthy.
Yours in good health not matter what shape our bodies are.
Dr George
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