2990 replies to this topic

[Racj82]

This is the new reality show thats going to go in Last Comic Standing's spot in three weeks. In this reality show "The biggest loser wins". Sorry but im already tired of hearing that line from the previews. But in the show, several overweight people will split up into two teams with two different diets. And whoever loses the most by the end of the show wins. Of course have to make the "fatty" look like idiots by throwing junk foods in their face and watch them salivate and break diet over the food. But on the whole it looks like a good show. Its looks like it might be more sincere in wanting the contestants to succeed. It does seem like i feel new reality show trend coming with the new "who can go the longest without smoking" show on pax and now this. I just we dont get a "who can lay off the caffiene for the longest" show next. But i will give this show a try. I have nothing to watch tuesdays at eight anyway. What are your thoughts on the show?

[brand x]

It seems to me that a weight loss competition really isn't fair- to go strictly by how many pounds a person loses over a period of time is not a correct assessment of the success of a diet. Some people bulk up rather than slim down, metabolisms are wacky and different diets work better for different people. It doesn't seem like a very even playing field from my pov.

[wwigbeee]

I know somebody on this show. (The woman at the end of the ads who says, "I want to stay...I need to stay...") I am so looking forward to watching this because of that. Even if I didn't know her, I think I'd still be on board, because I'm a reality show ho'

[Soup]

brand x, I don't think it's the number of pounds lost, but the ratio of pounds. So someone weighing 200 pounds that loses 20 will win against someone who is 300 pounds but lost 25.

What are the two different diets?

wwigbeee do you have any inside info to share?

Edited by Soup, Oct 8, 2004 @ 12:46 PM.

[wwigbeee]

No inside info at this time. I haven't seen her since right before she went out to film the show. I'm not sure when she'll be back to the Boston area.

http://www.nbc.com/n...kelly_mac.shtml

Kelly is a comedian, and is extremely, insanely funny. I'm wondering how much we'll see of that on this show.

Edited by wwigbeee, Dec 7, 2004 @ 1:04 PM.

[karabella]

I really have no intentions of watching this show since I don't do much reality TV, but I have to say that the promos I've seen on NBC with the "touching" voiceover (about how we'll be inspired or empathize/sympathize with the contestants) really piss me off because they seem contradictory to the footage they show. Are shirtless weigh-ins and working out in a sports bra really necessary for us to comprehend the contestants' body shape? I honestly don't think they are, and I can't see any extra shame added by having them be on national TV half-naked increases their motivation, but maybe that's just me. It makes me sad because they were clearly desperate enough for the help to subject themselves to the rules defined by the network, but it's just over the top and was probably done so the show will appeal to both those who will empathize and those that will antagonize.

[Rachel RSL]

I have no sympathy for them at all. I don't think being desperate for help is the motivation of any of these people. If they were that desperate to lose weight, they would have simply gone to a doctor or joined a gym. These people want their 15 minutes of fame, just like every other reality show contestant. Famewhores come in all shapes and sizes. So I say: bring on the humiliation!

Edited by Rachel RSL, Oct 18, 2004 @ 9:00 AM.

[cellochick]

I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel documenting who gains back all the lost weight (and then some) most quickly.

[genau]

Hey wwigbeee, I know the other Kelly. She is also very funny and I don't think of her as a desperate person. Hopefully, they picked people with likeable personalities. I wonder if they have any villians on the show (besides the producers-with the big piles of candy and cakes they show on the previews).

[EmbiggenedSoul]

This morning on the Today Show, Caroline Rhea (the host) was on promoting the show. Matt Lauer called her on the carpet about whether putting cupcakes and donuts in front of people trying to lose weight was unnecessarily cruel and humiliating. She hemmed and hawed, ducked and dodged, offered lame defenses such as, "I'm a Canadian, it's against the law to be mean" and something about the candy counter at the airport. Then going on and on, blah-blah-inspiration-cakes.

On one hand, I agree with RachelRSL that famewhores come in all shapes and sizes. And that there is no one left in America that doesn't know by now that if you go on a reality show there is a very high probability that you will be made to look like an ass at some point and deal with unpleasant elements. So yeah, little sympathy for them. God knows I need to lose weight badly, but I ain't subjecting myself to that.

On the other hand, I hate the whole "it's so inspirational and we're just trying to help them" angle they're playing up in the promotions.

The number of pounds lost as a criteria for winning will clearly dictate that most likely, the man who was the heaviest going in will win. When you're really overweight, the first 50 pounds come easy. Men lose weight much faster than women because of their higher percentage of muscle mass. So I agree, it's not exactly fair.

I haven't decided if I'm going to watch.

Edited by EmbiggenedSoul, Oct 19, 2004 @ 8:51 AM.

[Mrsmom]

From NBC"S Official Website:

In the end, "The Biggest Loser" becomes the biggest winner, walking away with a healthier body - and $250,000.

Since a "healtier body" should mean both inside and out, weight loss may not be the only criteria they will be judging.

Edited by Mrsmom, Oct 19, 2004 @ 9:10 AM.

[mocksie]

The number of pounds lost as a criteria for winning will clearly dictate that most likely, the man who was the heaviest going in will win. When you're really overweight, the first 50 pounds come easy. Men lose weight much faster than women because of their higher percentage of muscle mass. So I agree, it's not exactly fair.

Perhaps they'll judge by how much weight they lose, percentage-wise? Like, a 350 lb. person who loses 50 roughly equates to a 200 lb. person losing 30. That wouldn't take into account the gender issue, but it would even the playing field a bit more.

[RealityPrincess]

I think they are going to have to judge the outcome on a weight loss percentage, because as it has been stated people who are bigger to begin with tend to lose weight faster in the beginning. I had weight loss surgery 2 years ago and I dropped 100 pounds in the first 4 months, but that was because I started out at over 400 pounds. I had a friend who didn't lose as quickly as I did, but she was 100 pounds smaller than me. Also, the point about men losing weight faster is a valid one as well and should be a factor.

They are being split into two teams, each team has a different trainer and will be on different diets. One team is going the "eat more and raise the metabolism" route (assumably eating more of the RIGHT kinds of food) and the other team is taking the "eat less and exercise more" route. They are both going to be high protein, high fiber, low carb diets. It should be interesting to see which diet works better. They both have their good points and bad points and at the end of the day it's all about moderation and burning more calories than you are eating in a day.

So, the question is, am I going to watch this show? Oh, probably! Now that Nip/Tuck is off the air I have nothing left to watch on Tuesday nights and I am a reality TV addict.

[Nikki125]

So, the question is, am I going to watch this show? Oh, probably! Now that Nip/Tuck is off the air I have nothing left to watch on Tuesday nights and I am a reality TV addict.

That is exactly why I will tune in. If something else were on, I doubt I would watch because it does seem a tad degrading. Although I agree that these contestants know what they are getting into, I think NBC could have been a bit more highbrow in the way they are marketing the show and in the way they are portraying the contestants.

In one promo, they show an overweight woman jumping and when she lands, the ground supposedly shakes. I don't think that is funny at all. I really shouldn't be surprised though. So many reality shows take the low road, so why should this be any different? I do hope that they surprise me though and that the show turns out to be better than it looks.

Edited by Nikki125, Oct 19, 2004 @ 2:36 PM.

[Bigwheels1971]

The only thing that worries me about this show is when people get eliminated, I hope there is still some follow-up. These people want better lives. I hope they are not just dropped.

[wwigbeee]

Knowing somebody who is on this show who is neither desperate nor a famewhore may give me a different perspective. The people who go on reality shows lik ethis one go on for a variety of reasons...maybe the chance to win $250k is a motivator...Maybe the pressure of being on tv in front of people is a big incentive to succeed that they didn't have before? Who knows? Maybe some people are seeking a jump start in the entertainment field? Some people go in naive and some go in well aware of the trappings. I'm interested to see how the person I know is edited. For once I'll be able to tell just how far editing can go to either capture a person realistically or create a character fo rtv.

[Bruin4Ever]

I think famewhorishness is probably less on this type of show. I'm still not sure I'll be watching, though.

[genau]

[The only thing that worries me about this show is when people get eliminated, I hope there is still some follow-up. These people want better lives. I hope they are not just dropped.]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope the people that get eliminated go back to their lives with one more life experience under their belt and move on. Hopefully, the people they chose have somewhat fulfilled lives with the same problems that everyone else has along with a weight issue that isn't new to them. I do not think that NBC should bother to follow-up with any of them. Maybe I will change my mind when I see the show, but it doesn't look like the show is going to be that harmful. Unless, there is a big pageant at the end like "the Swan."

[Bigwheels1971]

genau: I see your point. I was focusing specifically on the weight issue. I think I should have written, they want "healthier lives." I guess I'm just hoping that the eliminated contestants, don't see themselves as "failures", and give up trying.

Edited by Bigwheels1971, Oct 19, 2004 @ 5:21 PM.

[Shhh,ItsBackOn]

Famewhores come in all shapes and sizes. So I say: bring on the humiliation!

Heh. I mean really, isn't this what reality television is all about?

[Gurlie_A]

I think they should have a show for anorexics and get a bunch of normal sized people to show them how to eat. Then we can put a bunch of vogue magazines in their rooms and laxatives in the bathrooms or something. Yeah, that'd be tasteful.

[Brn Eyed Girl]

I liked the show, but I don't think they should be voting anyone off. I think it would be more compelling television if everyone could stay and we could watch these people really make progress. I really want all of them to stay and be able to keep up what they have started. They are making a commitment to weight loss, but it is going to be harder for them once they don't have a personal trainer and a group of people doing what they are. Also, I think it will take away from the accomplishment of each person. Losing weight is hard, and they should be proud. I felt awful when Kelly said that she felt like 13 pounds wasn't enough. She should have been proud, but instead had to feel bad because they lost. I wish for once a reality show didn't have the old standard of voting someone off. I think they just wanted to use the phrase "trim the fat".

It had to be Dana, though. She just isn't going to lose as much as the others, and the way this game is set up that's all that matters. I'm glad to see they gave us a follow up and I'm glad she's kept with it. Good job, Dana!

wwigbeee, I love your friend Kelly. She's so cute and I was so proud of her weight loss. I'm rooting for her.

[Bigwheels1971]

Brn Eyed Girl's post is exactly what I was alluding to, in my earlier post. I'm excited that Dana has kept it up, I think that's fantastic!

I like the show and I definitely will keep watching. However, with the LCS fiasco, I'm wondering if the ratings will tank.

Did they have to have an antacid commercial (with a guy eating pizza), during the show? Although, I liked the SUBWAY ads.

[coconutcookie]

This kind of crash dieting is the worst. All of these people have probably done something similar before. The first week the weight comes off quickly and then it starts getting harder, no matter what you do. I really don't think it's healthy to lose weight so fast. The show won't last long enough for them to really change their habits. Let's see where they are in a year.

I also don't think the show is fair because of the percentage thing. The people who start out weighing less don't have a chance at the money.

Last thing: Carolyn Rhea ought to be one of the contestants. They should have chosen as host someone who has actually lost a lot of weight and is now trim.

[Skycatcher]

but I don't think they should be voting anyone off.

It would have been more compassionate, not to mention taking a high road, if instead of voting them off, they simple became ineligible for the grand prize, and perhaps miss out on other things, but could stay on and continue to follow the weight loss regime. Voting folks out just when they've gotten some new hope about getting their weight under control seems so cruel. Of course I say that knowing from experience as an almost professional dieter, that weight lost in these circumstances seldom stays off once you return to normal everyday living. Its usually gained back plus more.

[easy as green]

Random thoughts:

-The fatty, carbo-loaded breakfast buffet was just wrong. Twisted and wrong.

-The female trainer: HATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-I detested the older guy on the blue team who complained that the very overweight guy had only lost 1 pound more than he had.

-The team competition and elimination of one player is so formula, even if it is full of sorrow and sympathy.

As others have said, the big weight loss during the first week is one thing, but just wait until until the week that some of them stop shedding water weight and begin exchanging muscle for fat and either gain weight or stay the same. A good thing for long-term health and fitness, but I think it will be a misunderstood stress inducer in this competition.

Final thought: Whenever I see Subway Jarrod, I feel so happy that he lost all that weight and has managed to keep it off for several years. I heard him on a radio show and one of the things he said was that he was young enough when he lost the weight that his skin retained its elasticity and pretty much adjusted to his smaller size.

Edited by easy as green, Oct 19, 2004 @ 9:05 PM.

[brandmed]

I actualy watched sopme of this while waiting for Scrubs to come on, and it was not as bad as I expected. Though it doens't really seem fair with two different diets, different size people, different sexes, etc. So many things can affect how much wieght a person loses, I really don't see how this could ever be truly fair.

[tjreess]

I have to agree Brn Eyed Girl , the whole voting off each week totally takes away from the the atmosphere of the show. I had hoped it would be more about the weight loss and less about who lost more, but apparently that kind of show doesn't make ratings. It's all about the Survivor factor. I could totally see rewards for the team that lost the most-maybe even a treat of their favorite foods (which is what I do when I have had an especially good few days) but this only cause more stress in a situation where these is already plenty.

And as soon as I saw all the food laid out before them, I was so "THAT'S NOT FAIR!" But then, even those sent home early will be faced with temptation. I guess it all comes down to willpower.

And on a totally personal note, that Matt guy is so me, it's scary. From the overhang to the hand gestures. I looked at him, and I was shocked. And a little scared.

edited because I wasn't done, dang it!

Edited by tjreess, Oct 19, 2004 @ 9:25 PM.

[sissykay]

If the show lasts long enough I predict injuries. The trainers are working them too hard for the weight some of them are carrying. They are going to have knee and hip joint injuries.