Weight Loss : Reality or TV Show ?

weight loss fast

With an estimated 50 percent of Americans thought to be overweight, focusing on weight loss is sure to get the attention of many viewers out there. Perhaps the biggest reality weight loss television show is the Biggest Loser. Viewers have seen people on this show lose astonishing amounts of weight in short periods of time. In some cases the people are almost unrecognizable upon finishing the show. They look nowhere close to the person that they were when they started the show. How are they able to lose so much weight so quickly? If it safe? Let’s take a look at reality shown on TV about weight loss.


Thanks to a lot of editing, most viewers don’t know what goes on behind the scenes on some of these shows. Thankfully, some former contestants have spoken out about what they had to go through to make the incredible changes to their body. They report exercising for four or more hours a day. That is a lot of exercise. Typically people are told to exercise 20-30 minutes a day, three to five times a week for weight loss. Due to this high volume of exercise contestants on the Biggest Loser are able to record weight loss numbers in one week that take “regular dieters” a month to accomplish.Are these numbers safe? The recommended weight loss for an individual is 1-2 pounds a week. On the biggest loser contestants drop about 4-8 pounds a week, sometimes more. Due to these numbers the contestants are under constant medical supervision to make sure they aren’t having any negative side effects due to their rapid weight loss. Doctors watch everything from their blood pressure to blood sugar to make sure every thing is functioning properly.

In many cases on the show only positive medical results are seen. Contestants see their resting hear rates plummet. This means less stress on their hearts. They also see their blood pressure fall. Blood sugar levels become more stable. Even though the weight loss is rapid, it seems that the health benefits related to weight loss happen rapidly too.

The problem with a show like the Biggest Loser is that regular people have jobs and other obligations and more than likely can’t exercise for 4 or more hours a day. They also can’t afford to be under constant medical supervision to make sure there aren’t any negative side effects being brought on by such rapid weight loss. A show like the Biggest Loser gives unrealistic weight loss expectations to its audience. This may cause them to not want to stick to any diet or exercise program they are on because they are not seeing the week to week results contestants on reality television are seeing. Let’s not forget that the contestants on reality television weight loss shows are working with some of the world’s top personal trainers.

Is it safe to mimic the diet and exercise regime that these contestants follow on some of these reality television shows? Under proper medical supervision, it would appear so. Is it likely the average person could put aside the time, hire expert trainers and afford constant medical supervision? That doesn’t seem likely. These shows do show what is possible with weight loss, but they don’t show what is a realistic option for most people watching the show. For most people, slow and steady is the way to go when it comes to weight loss.

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