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Biggest Loser, biggest target.

Updated: FremantleMedia says it provides thorough medical, psychological and nutritional care to Biggest Loser contestants amid questions on duty of care.

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More criticism today is levelled at The Biggest Loser and its health regime.

Former contestants have told The Age they they weighed every 10 to 14 days, not every seven days as the show purports. Earlier this week Producers declined to comment on similar claims.

Some former contestants have said the show’s trainers had suggested they stop drinking for up to 36 hours before being weighed.

Doctors told 2006 contestant Artie Rocke his 40-kilogram weight loss over 12 weeks led to his collapse two days after filming ended. He was rushed to hospital to have his gall bladder removed.

2008 contestant John Jeffery quit the show in 2008 because he did not agree with its philosophy and feared someone would die.

”One person I was in with was taken to hospital twice with a low pulse rate because he was starving himself,” he said.

This year the show hosted by Hayley Lewis has come under fire over word that contestants are to face a 42km run.

”It’s a weight loss journey but it’s also a game,” a FremantleMedia spokesperson said.

”We are certainly not encouraging people to do it but everyone is made aware of how the game is played,” he said.

Update: FremantleMedia today told TV Tonight: “At every point of the competition the health and welfare of the contestants is our greatest priority. We provide thorough medical, psychological and nutritional care at every stage of the production. Our trainers are 100% dedicated to improving the lives of all contestants and increasing their life expectancy. They have had phenomenal success with past contestants and they are considered the very best in their field. Biggest Loser’s loyal audience certainly appreciates the journey they go on with the contestants for the 12 weeks we are on air and the inspiration they provide to make changes in their own lives.”

Source: The Age

14 Responses

  1. its an adult show for an adult time slot, so put it on after NCIS and Numbers, if people are really fanatical about it and are fans they will stay up to watch it.
    Its not about targeting the young demographic either, i wouldn’t call all the people in that show 20 somethings.

  2. Normally 10 has excellent tv and is like an oasis in football shows on both of the other channels or good drama or occaisionally good movies.
    But Australias biggest looser and its variants for gods sake how much can i say to get this boring, laborious, ugly , painful show off the tv. Its not voyuerism its disgusting

  3. I’m with ryan, regular viewers understand all about their ‘timing’ tricks and unregular viewers shouldn’t be believing everything they see and hear on a reality tv show.

    This all sounds very ‘won’t somebody think of the children!”

  4. This show has overall had a very positive effect on the Australian public. It encourages exercise and eating well. The critics will always take pot shots but the reality is The Biggest Loser has more of an impact on Australian health than any government program.

  6. So they say the contesants are safe. Do Ten and Fremantle realise that making it appear that people are losing enourmous amounts of weight in half the time they actually are could very well risk the safety of viewers?

  7. FremantleMedia: “for the 12 weeks we are on air”

    Which equates to something closer to 18-24 weeks on ‘Loser’ time. I see they’ve completely avoided that part of the criticisms against the show.

    The only reason to dupe the viewer like that, is to make for maximum impact for contestants weight loss in the “weekly” weigh in. It is setting a very dangerous precedent and unrealistic weight loss goals.

    With contestants coming out and publicly questioning the morals of The Biggest Loser, hopefully this leads to some changes for what has primarily become an exploitive, ratings hungry commercial television show, with the weight loss and well being of contestants seemingly secondary.

  10. What concerns me about programs like this is that there are no warnings during the show that this type of huge weight loss can have serious health implications. Surely the ACMA or government have to act on this

  12. I don’t watch the show, but see the ads and sometimes surf through it. Losing weight when morbidly obese is a slow, boring process which obviously doesn’t suit the TV format. Making morbidly obese people exercise to collapse or vomiting is bloody dangerous. Rapid weight loss is also tricky and often involves water loss rather than fat loss. And some types of rapid weight loss can lead to muscle catabolism, rather than fat loss.

    This show is about appealing to the dreams of the many of us who are overweight, rather than reality.

  14. god could this news be any older? we have been hearing this since season 1, all of us who watch the show know the producers aren’t telling us the full truth on how long they are in the house and how long bewteen weigh-ins, but who cares, its still good viewing. Also they should be happy now the doctors can shut up about loosing so much weight in 1 week

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