When I was younger, one of my favorite pastimes was curling up with a bowl of popcorn to watch “The Biggest Loser.” As a teenager struggling with an eating disorder and a reliance on diet pills, I found motivation in watching contestants transform their bodies. To me, those individuals were achieving their best selves, and I was totally cheering them on.
Each week, I watched as contestants pushed their limits, sometimes to the point of illness, crying frequently, and exercising like they were in a life-or-death chase. My favorite “tough love” coach, Jillian Michaels, would scream at them with such intensity it felt electrifying. I admired their relentless determination and celebrated their weight loss victories, believing it was a path to success.
However, with the show’s unexpected reboot on the horizon, it’s time for a reality check. I now realize that while I once idolized “The Biggest Loser” for promoting weight loss, I was completely unaware of the severe abuses contestants faced behind the scenes.
After going off-air in 2016 due to significant backlash, many former participants have come forward to reveal the shocking and dangerous practices they endured. One participant, Sarah Campbell, even filed a lawsuit against the show, claiming she and others were coerced into gaining weight before filming, denied water during the competition, and forced to exercise to the brink of collapse. Shockingly, she reported being encouraged to consume baking soda to artificially inflate their weight loss results.
“The Biggest Loser doesn’t save lives; it destroys them,” Campbell stated in a 2016 interview. “You return home a different person, mentally and emotionally scarred.”
In addition to the verbal abuse on the show, Jillian Michaels has faced multiple lawsuits related to her weight loss products, which reportedly contain harmful ingredients and have been shown to be ineffective. Ironically, the company behind her supplements is called ThinCare International.
Perhaps the most tragic story comes from single mother, Emily Dawson. Beset by financial struggles and depression, she was approached by casting agents and offered help. Once on the show, she found herself in dire conditions, cut off from her support system, and living on a meager diet of seven asparagus spears and three ounces of turkey. The lack of facilities meant daily trips to a Port-A-Potty, a humiliating experience that compounded the psychological trauma.
Emily shared, “I left with an eating disorder. It haunts me in my sleep.”
A study by NIH researcher Kevin Hall further illuminated the show’s impact, revealing that extreme weight loss methods significantly slowed contestants’ metabolisms and caused lasting damage, making it harder for them to maintain a healthy weight later on. “It’s astounding,” Hall remarked. “The effects are shocking.”
I could fill pages with the numerous alarming claims against “The Biggest Loser” that warrant a boycott of the reboot. But it’s time to get personal.
For years, I believed harmful myths about health and worth. I relied heavily on a flawed BMI system and fell for the notion that being thin equated to being lovable. I engaged in extreme dieting, pushed my body to its limits, and judged others based on their size.
Life has a way of revealing truths. Now, after decades of striving for an unattainable thinness, I find myself classified as “medically obese.” Ironically, I would fit the profile for “The Biggest Loser” now, but my attitude towards such a damaging program has completely changed.
Now that I’m aware of the toxic environment perpetuated by shows like “The Biggest Loser,” I refuse to support a program that cultivates eating disorders, abuse, and fat-shaming. I cannot endorse a show that glorifies a trainer like Jillian Michaels, who has made light of contestants’ struggles and suffering. Even with claims of a “holistic” approach from Bob Harper, I remain skeptical.
Having experienced life in both thin and fat bodies has provided me with profound insights. I’ve come to understand that all those beliefs I held about larger individuals were fundamentally misguided. My journey through weight gain was essential for healing my eating disorder. I broke away from diet culture and embraced my body as it is now.
I will never again allow a show like “The Biggest Loser” to dictate my worth or health. In my eyes, this show is the true biggest loser, and I am done with it for good.
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In summary, my experiences have reshaped my views on body image and the harmful narratives perpetuated by shows like “The Biggest Loser.” I refuse to support a program that promotes unhealthy ideals and practices.