No doubt you’ve probably heard of or even watched the show the Biggest Loser. People go through huge physical transformations as they work out for long hours everyday and they eat less than their bodies’ need. Are they better off afterward? Will they be able to keep up the extreme life regimen and maintain weight loss down the road? Only the participants can answer this; that is their concern, not mine. After all, what each person chews and does is ultimately their business. As a Registered Dietitian, who works with many people who struggle with body image and disordered eating, my concern is more about the viewers. Our culture is already a culture that breeds weight stigma: for more on this read this and this post.
According to research, the Biggest Loser plays a role in breeding more anti-fat (weight stigma) attitudes. 2 research studies suggest that 
watching just 1 episode of the Biggest Loser affects the viewers by:
- Increasing anti-fat attitudes
- Increasing negative obesity stereotypes
- Being little motivation to change personal physical activity behaviors
This suggests that watching the Biggest Loser has a majority of negative consequences compared to any positive outcomes. This makes sense when we remember that research suggests body acceptance increases behavior change, not body hatred. For a great overview of the research on how watching the Biggest Loser affects its viewers, I recommend reading the post When Science Met the Biggest Loser.
You may be thinking. Ok. But, why is this a big deal now?
It has recently come to our attention that the Biggest Loser is going to the White House next month to feature First Lady, Michelle Obama, and the Let’s Move Campaign. Although I have no doubt that the First Lady has the best intentions and is trying to use a well-watched show to share her message, using the Biggest Loser to spread any positive messages is a great concern.
My goal with this post is to speak out about the negative impact that using the Biggest Loser as a platform could bring, and to ask the First Lady to reconsider her choice for spreading wellness information. After all, with the research on how the show can impact viewers, is using the Biggest Loser as a vehicle to positively reach people really the best platform? Want to get loud with us? You can sign the petition at change.org by clicking here.
*Special thanks to Janet Zimmerman, a dietitian a Schilling Nutrition Therapy, for writing this post.
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