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Biggest Loser’s Biggest Problem

By On · Add Comment · In body mass index (BMI), diets, exercise, obesity, The Biggest Loser, weight loss

I like The Biggest Loser–it’s good T.V. And I certainly see some value in the show. Saying that, however, it is not necessarily the best approach to weight loss.

According to some experts, The Biggest Loser is counterproductive and dangerous. The show takes obese contestants through extreme exercise conditions and carefully monitored diets, as they compete against each other for the greatest weight loss. The winner at the end of the show wins $250,000.

Last year’s season 8 saw two of the contestants collapse during a one-mile (1.6 km) foot race. And this year’s season 9 began with two contestants having complications during a 26.2 mile (42 km) race on stationary bikes. One of the contestants had to be dragged off the bike under her protests due to severe cramps, while a second, who weighed in at a massive 526-pounds, was treated for exhaustion.

Some criticisms of the show include that they take a group of people falling to the extreme side of obesity, or the largest people in society, the severely obese (BMI greater than 40) as contestants. Whereas the majority of obese Americans have a body mass index (BMI) of 30+, people with BMIs above 40 represent only 6% of the population. The show, however, uses mostly severely obese contestants. In fact, 17 of the 22 contestants (~80%) this season have BMIs over 40. The problem, critics say, is that it does not accurately represent the population and is, therefore, removed from real world conditions.

Another criticism is that the program is too strenuous and that weight loss happens too quickly, neither of which is healthy. Not only can this pose a danger to contestants but can also be discouraging for those viewers at home trying to lose weight. When people can’t match the numbers posted on the show, some being record weight losses (fastest 100-pound weight loss in seven weeks, and most weight lost in one week–34 pounds), people are bound to get discouraged.

The final criticism is that the rapid weight loss seen on The Biggest Loser is not likely to be maintained. Several former Biggest Loser contestants have regained some or all of the weight they lost while contestants on the show.

Well I’ve got to say…I couldn’t agree more. I do like The Biggest Loser, mostly because it shows that for any person to lose weight, one simple physiological principle must be satisfied: More calories must be burned than taken in. This principle is true whether one has the “obesity” gene, an underactive thyroid, or whether one just likes to eat. To lose weight you’ve gotta burn more than you bring in, period. I think the show demonstrates this princilple quite nicely.

But as I’ve said in a recent article, losing more than one pound per week is unhealthy. And if you are trying to lose weight for any other reason than your own inspiration, forget it–it will never happen, not with any permanence, that is.

If you really want to lose weight, you’ve got to set realistic goals, and do it over the long haul. Making some lifestyle changes will be a necessity, and getting over the mental barriers that attach you to eating will be of the utmost importance.

So as far as The Biggest Loser is concerned, it’ll keep on its game plan of getting the fattest people to lose the most extreme amount of weight in the shortest period of time, healthy or not. Even if they lose a couple contestants one year to heart attack or dehydration, they’ll keep going for one simple reason: It makes good T.V.

T.V. Doctor Selling Power

By On · Add Comment · In Bistro MD, Dr. Phil, Erin Andrews, losing weight, Paris Hilton, T.V. doctors, The Biggest Loser, The Doctors, The Dr. Oz show, vegan diet, Weight Watchers

Looks like T.V. doctors are influencing Americans in droves. Not surprising since people in the U.S. are generally obsessed with celebrity figures. Just look at internet search data and you’ll see celebrity searches topping the list day in and day out. True, things like the Paris Hilton sex tape or Erin Andrews nude video make up the majority of searches; but celebrities like Oprah, Howard Stern and George Clooney come in at a close second in search volume.

This is valuable information because it shows just what types of things influence American purchasing habits. Corporations have known this for years, so the celebrity endorsement is not a new phenomenon. But what is fairly young is the use of celebrities to sell health products. Pharmaceutical companies do it, for instance using Earvin “Magic” Johnson to sell HIV drugs. And companies pushing weight loss programs and products have also been aware of the super-selling power of celebrity.

But this brings up question: Should celebrities really be selling products that might be better endorsed by doctors? I mean, didn’t Tom Cruise take an s-load of heat for making statements about Brooke Shields and antidepressants? He’s just an actor! Well, marketers have found a solution: Use celebrity doctors!

That’s right, make doctors the new celebrity (reality celebrity-dom is in, baby). With shows like Dr. Phil, The Doctors, and now The Dr. Oz Show marketers have a powerful vehicle to sell everything from diet programs to the latest wonder drugs. Isn’t the evolution of business and advertising fascinating?

Take for instance the dietary meals on wheels program, Bistro MD. Not a new concept by any means, delivering meals of a certain calorie count for people to watch their weight, much like the calorie counting concept of Weight Watchers (a personal favorite of mine for its ground-breaking model conceived more than four decades ago). The idea, though, is for Bistro MD to take the work out of it for the customer. As their website says:

“take the hassle out of preparing healthy meals for the whole family.”

Sounds good to me. ‘Cept does work? Well The Doctors T.V. show is pushing it, so it must, right? Most Americans would think so cuz…those doctors are on T.V.!

How about a vegan diet? I used to think that was only for nutty hippies, but hey, Dr. Oz recommended a vegan diet for a meat-eating cowbow, so I guess like most Americans I’ll accept it cuz, well…that doctor is on T.V.!

And then there’s Dr. Phil. He’s called in Bistro MD on his show, too (see the video, here). That’s a double-whammy celebrity-doctor endorsement–now that’s advertising power! And so which company do you think is dominating health and weight loss web searches right now? Yes, Bistro MD. Very good, give yourself a gold star.

So what do I think about all this? Well, I’m really not all that influenced by celebrity endorsements (or so I think; but I do like Danica Patrick, hmmm…); therefore, I’ll have to stick to the truth as I know it: NO MAGIC BULLETS people! You want to lose weight, it takes three things:

  1. Motivation and drive–these are based on whether you value your health and looks over pleasureful sensory stimulation, which eating for many people invariably is
  2. Watching what you eat–both in calories and types of food
  3. Burning more calories than you take in–simply put, if you’re overweight, you’ll need to exercise

So diets like Bistro MD alone ain’t gonna do it. Sorry. Gotta have above principles 1 and 3 in there, too. And, frankly, I find that anything that takes the hassle or work out of the process is a sure loser in my book, because it will violate principle number 1 for most people. Sure some people will succeed with Bistro MD, like it happens with most things, but in general, you gotta want it bad enough to make it happen.

My favorite T.V. example of these weight-loss principles in action occurs in the show The Biggest Loser. They prove exactly what I’m saying: You’ve got to want it (#1), you’ve got to watch what and how much you eat (#2), and you’ve got to burn, baby, burn (#3). Ain’t no other way. But I’m not on T.V. so…who’s really listening?

Soda and Weight Loss

By On · Add Comment · In diet soda, Eddie Pence, gastric bypass, obese, obesity, soda, The Biggest Loser, weight loss

My wife was reading my earlier blog on government funded gastric bypass surgery, and while looking at The Biggest Loser before and after pictures, noted that many of the people submitting photos had cut out soda.

Ah, soda–the lowest common denominator in obesity. If someone is obese, I’ll bet the farm they drink soda. And diet soda is no healthy alternative, yet I’m sure many people think it is.

Without a doubt, my lovely wife was astute in picking out that common act–quitting soda–that leads to dramatic weight loss. I’ve said it again and again and again: Cut the soda or you’ll never lose weight. And if you do kick the habit, you’ll see the pounds shed quickly and permanently–that is, as long as you remain permanently abstinent. Read the interview I conducted with comedian Eddie Pence. He lost 15 lbs like that (finger snap), just by kicking Diet Coke.

It’s up to you: Lose the soda and lose the pounds, or keep drinking that crap and settle for a stomach staple.

Ockham’s Razor**

By On · Add Comment · In diet, epidemic, exercise, gastric bypass, obesity, Ockham's Razor, The Biggest Loser, universal health plan

What’s the best way to combat an obesity epidemic? Have insurance companies–or better yet, the government–pay for gastric bypass surgeries. You heard me right, let somebody else pick up the tab for one’s disregard. At least that’s what some crackpot lawmakers want to do.

According to a recent story, the obesity epidemic may throw a wrench in President Barack Obama’s universal health plan. I couldn’t agree more. Throw in a few professional patients, and a few more prescription drug addicts, and I think the President’s plan is in for a world of hurt. How do I know? Because that’s exactly why health care costs are currently out of control. We’re all paying for the “sick care” of the relatively few.

But fear not–one New Hampshire politician has it all figured out. Turns out all of State Senator Bob Clegg’s health troubles went away following his gastric bypass surgery in 2007. The surgery helped him deflate from a whopping 380 to a respectable 240 lbs. Not bad, Senator, not bad. So he believes this must be the answer: Government funded gastric bypass–or at least have the surgery covered by private medical insurance. He’s so convinced of it’s effectiveness, that he authored a bill in January 2008 requiring New Hampshire insurers to offer surgery as a treatment option, just as the state’s Medicaid program for the poor does. Apparently other states are looking at the “Live Free or Die” credo of New Hampshire and taking it literally. But to take it one step further, some think that the law should be extended federally.

All I can say is, “Oy vey!” Senator, Senator, Senator…you are wrong, dead wrong. Why should taxpayers pay for an elective surgery? Let me be frank, sir: Obesity–despite what some enablers in the medical and psychology field may wish us to believe–is not a disease. Not. It’s a condition. One that is mainly the result of lack–lack of information, lack of understanding, lack of discipline, lack of responsibility, and lack of accountability.

In my book, The Six Keys To Optimal Health, I say very clearly to people battling their weight, “You have the power to overcome obesity; it’s in you.” I also say run–don’t walk–away from anybody who tells you that you are not in complete control of your weight. Run! Run from New Hampshire, and run from Senator Bob Clegg cuz’ that man’s dangerous. Implying that obesity is a disease that needs surgical intervention* (paid for by you and me in taxes and insurance premiums) is the road to hell. Here’s the laugh: Clegg’s impetus to pull the wool over New Hampshire’s eyes was that he had to pay $20,000 out of his own pocket. His rationale: he’s saving the state $3,000 per month in doctor’s visits.

Hey, I’ve got no beef with that…if it were reality. But it’s not. Clegg could have lost the weight himself through diet and exercise. No? Don’t think so? Sorry, The Biggest Loser proves it. That T.V. show has single-handedly buried any hope for the “I just can’t lose weight no matter what I try” set…definitively. Have you seen the show, Clegg? It’s incredible. Slap in the face of perpetual victims. If anybody reading this hasn’t seen Biggest Loser yet–one of the best shows on T.V. as well as an unexpected public health phenomenon–you simply must. If you can’t stomach T.V., then at least check out the website, especially the before and after photos. Disease my arse. The contestants of the show do it purely with diet and exercise–the only way to lose weight effectively. I hope the former Senator’s dangerous bill gets no farther than New Hampshire.

*I’m not against gastric bypass surgery, at all. I just don’t want to pay for yours, as I’m sure you don’t want to pay for my penis enlargement.

**Thank you to a great client and regular reader, Kelly D.

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