I was so appalled at Oprah when she had Gwyneth Paltrow on and her emaciated body along with her trainer Tracy Anderson and the complete nonsense workout she had her do - I decided enough was enough.....So noticing on her website that she is having an upcoming show featuring the Biggest Loser show and all that surrounds it I had to speak out..... So I did!
Dear Oprah
September 25, 2008
I noticed on the website you have an upcoming show about “The Biggest Loser” and I wanted to respond, however this is more than 2000 characters so I just had to write and send it in (the old fashion way).
I have wanted to voice my opinion on The Biggest Loser since the inception of this show. I will come right to point and let you know that I feel it is the single worst reality show on TV today (or one of the many single worst shows). I happen to live in Los Angeles (the entertainment capitol of the planet) and have realized that things definitely operate differently here than in other parts of the country. I am a born and bred New England Girl (NY/Connecticut) and moved to LA LA land 3+ years ago when I re-married a native Angeleno. Being in the Health / Fitness profession for the last 27 years I decided to move west after living bi-coastally from my husband for a year and half. I figured it would be easy to re-start my personal training business in LA after having a long established training business in CT. What I learned was the rules are different in LA when it comes to fitness and the fitness business. It’s about who you know and what celeb you are training that lands credibility to your resume as a trainer instead of experience, education and true passion for the profession. I find many so called trainers (who are also out of work actors) are more interested in being on TV rather than really wanting to get the public healthy and fit. It’s sad that the viewing public will buy what these so called fitness experts are selling as the latest greatest fitness product or workout when it is nothing but a bunch of hype to inflate their ego. Which brings me back to the biggest loser infotainment (pull at your heartstrings) for the overweight to get your butt off the couch you big loser. This whole entire show serves one purpose and one purpose only, a high rating which leads to more of the almighty dollar in the true fat cats pockets. It’s appalling that people who clearly are hurting emotionally dealing with obesity in their lives and their family’s lives are subject to being put on public display to only be brow beaten for the sake of entertainment and what will look good for the camera to lose the most weight of all the contestants that week. I realize that contestants bear responsibility here as well; accepting to take this on, feeling that this is their last hope for losing weight and of course winning 250,000 for losing big. And the audience buys this crap hook line and sinker and that’s why the show continues season after season sending the wrong message. People who are overweight and have been battling their weight for years are grasping at anything they feel will help them. The Biggest Loser show I believe is a complete detriment but the producers certainly do know how to pull at the heartstrings - that’s the entertainment industry at its best. They can do this because of editing and designing the show for the public to see what they strategically want them to see to get the largest viewing audience buying this crap. But this is far from the reality of their lives and what they have to deal with on an everyday basis to combat losing the weight and becoming healthier and fit. I would like to see how many of these biggest loser contestants actually keep the weight off (the real percentage) and not just the ones who are paid after the shows aired to keep it off for the reunion show or knowing they will be on camera in the future. I would like to know the real behind the scenes of how these contestants are actually treated and feel about this whole ordeal. I am truly amazed that no one has died after what they are asked to do to so they can win a phone call home. This show does not send a true message as to what it takes for an overweight person to become fit and healthy. NOT EVEN CLOSE. An article written by James O. Hill, Ph.D. in the October 2005 issue of Obesity Management (pg 187) clearly explains my point. In fact, this (show) is the thought process those of us in the (real) healthcare/fitness/wellness industry have been trying to change. This show trivializes the complex genetic and environmental influences on our behavior and weight. It perpetuates the wrong message to those who most need the right message.
To me this show is THE BIGGEST LOSER.
Thank You for listening.
Respectfully,
Laura S. Gideon M.S., CPT
Owner Bamboo Balance LLC Fitness & Aquatics Training, Exercise Physiologist, Cert. Fitness & Pilates Trainer, Nutrition Counselor
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1 comment:
THANK YOU! God knows Oprah has some serious body issues, which she forces upon the masses while labeling such unhealthy neurosis as "normal" and even enlightened. But when fat people try to call her out on her bullshit, she deflects, trivializes or verbally assaults. It means so much more that a person in the health and fitness industry wrote this, because she can't just fall back on "yeah, but yer fat!"
"The Biggest Loser" is the fat person equivalent of black face pantomines. It's unbelievably offensive and dehumanizing. You clearly see it, which is why you are the only trainer I've worked with who I've also recommended to others. Your sanity and respect of the people with whom you work is a rarity in this fat-hating, bigoted world. Thank you so much for standing up for those of us who want health, not hype, in our lives.
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