The Biggest Loser is a hit reality show which follows a group of obese people as they attempt to lose weight and regain their health. The contestants maintain a grueling workout routine and eat a birdseed diet, all while being yelled at by attractive personal trainers. It's brilliant TV. The problem, however, is that the show is based on bad science and sends the wrong message to people who want to lose weight.
Starvation diets and too much exercise for ratings have a number of physiological effects on participants but studies have also shown an impact on viewers; people expressed increased disdain for overweight people, even after watching just one episode of The Biggest Loser. Other studies found that viewers who think that is what weight loss encompasses (starvation, getting yelled at, over-exercising) were less inclined to want to exercise at all.
The Biggest Loser Season 14 Finale: Show Promotes Bad Science, Stereotypes by Cameron English, PolicyMic.com
