Biggest Loser Controversy

While I was waiting for my car to be done at the shop for a routine oil change( which has now turned into new tires! Yey! This is why this post is late, so sorry!) I noticed that one the "trending topics" for pages that I follow and,  posts that my friends have made are all regarding the most recent Biggest Loser winner. 

I personally have not followed the show this season, but it is always cool to see what the winner accomplished in the time spent on The Biggest Loser set. After seeing SHAPE Magazines post,( here is the link SHAPE Magazine) I decided to comment. Especially because of the horrible things that people were commenting. 

I personally have worked at a summer camp, for children from the age of 9-18, and our main focus was weight loss. Children and Teens came for any time from 3 to 9 weeks, to achieve their weight loss goals. Some came with true goals to accomplish, and took the most from the camp. Others, this was a routine thing, a place where their parents sent them every summer, to lose the weight they put on throughout the year. 

I  mainly worked with a group of girls that ranged from 15-18, some were at the camp for the first time, and others were returning campers. They had and followed a strict meal plan, and every hour we rotated through "stations" if you will, to different workouts/games to keep them active throughout the day. The camp weighed in every Sunday before breakfast, I would say based from what I heard campers lost an average of 5-10 lbs (depending on their effort through out the week, and their starting weight) and this type of weight loss continued for the duration of their time at the camp.

This program is very similar to The Biggest Loser in the sense that it is an immersion program, where the campers for me, and contestants for the show, live and breath exercise, diet and, weight loss. Where meals are made for them, there are trainers that have workout plans made for them, and staff on hand for mental support. With this type of program, you will see DRASTIC changes, there is no avoiding them. The real challenge for these people is when they get home, thrown into their old world, and have to do things themselves, that were done for them for 9 or 14 weeks.

Personally, I do believe that the weight loss Rachel had is unhealthy, ideally you do not want to lose so much weight so fast, but for the program she was in, and the supervision that she had, I feel that she did it the best way she possibly could. I think what we all forget is that not everyone is made to look the same, and at the day of her weigh in, like other contestants that is the lightest they will ever be. Many of them say they put on about 10lbs when they get home, and that they are comfortable with that, for the reason that they understand they are not in the same environment any more.  

I say CONGRATULATIONS Rachel! You had many physical and mental challenges through those 14 weeks, and not only did you win a good chunk of money, but you also bettered your life. You can live the life that was intended for you, and no longer be hindered by weight or social stigma. I am so sorry that because you have publicly gone through your weight loss journey, you will never be good enough for society, you will forever be too thin or too large. But, always remember you are a beautiful, strong, and loving woman ( based off the interviews I read/saw) and no one can ever take that away from you.