Weight Loss Woes

I watched "The Biggest Loser" UK version last night as it gets down to the closing stages.

I am fascinated by the whole mentality surrounding such a popular show. But what struck me most was that the show continues to promote such a blind obsession with weight-loss.

Duh! I hear you say ... this is "The Biggest Loser".

But there was Liz ... a lovely lass who'd just spent the entire week eating quality, healthy, organic foods and working her butt off under the skillful direction of the resident super-trainer ... and, shock, horror, she'd actually gained one pound!

And she was in floods of tears. Not because she knew her game was up (ok, maybe). But more because she appeared genuinely mortified that her body had actually responded in a perfectly natural manner. She'd lost fat, put on muscle ... and gained one lousy pound.

Big Deal!

Here's a girl who's confidence and self esteem is already on thin ice ... and the message she's getting (and sending out to I don't know how many other million viewers) is that she's let herself down and is defective in some way. A sure mark of under-performance!

Personally I thought they were all great. Emotional, sure. I guess that's cool. Inspirational, absolutely!

So why reinforce that absolute weight-loss is the gold standard measurement of new-found healthy living? It's not. What happened to Liz was unique for her body at that stage in her development. Her weight-loss had levelled out ... temporarily. Expectation incongruent with natural physiology. Again.

She was crushed. Why?

And what message does that send out if not to vindicate restrictive diets and excessive cardio?

Neanderthals one. Thinking human beings zero.

Liz' diet and her professional training were spot-on. But how many people (Liz included) will have had a different take-out? She could have done better. She could have sacrificed more. She could have eaten less. Bull!

Healthy weight-loss should not be excessively restrictive. This myth, seductive though it may be, is unsupported by science ... and ultimately emotionally destructive and unsustainable?

Liz ... you did great! And you now have the confidence to go travelling.

In fairness to the show, it is absolutely rivetting, gut-wrenching to the emotions and a darn good watch! Maybe they could add some "after the weigh-in" counselling footage that doesn't cross the line of being patronizing? Nah ... that would be way too sophisticated. We want blood and tears.

And the contestants all appear to benefit, even if some don't actually grow up.