THE REALITY SHOW BIGGEST LOSER FINDS ITSELF EMBROILED IN A
CONTROVERSY OVER ALLEGATIONS FROM SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF
THE SHOW, CONTESTANTS, THAT SAY THE SHOW MANIPULATED THEM
INTO GAINING WEIGHT BEFORE GOING ON THE SHOW, PUT THEM IN
DANGER, RISKED THEIR LIVES TO MAKE THEM DROP AS MUCH
WEIGHT AS POSSIBLE IN UNHEALTHY CIRCUMSTANCES, AND EVEN
PUSHED ILLEGAL DRUGS ON THEM.
THIS IS ONE OF THE CONTESTANTS WHO LOST A GREAT DEAL OF WEIGHT
ON THE SHOW, THEN IT GAINED BACK THE WEIGHT AFTERWARDS.
IT IS INCREDIBLY COMMON BOTH FOR PEOPLE ON THE BIGGEST LOSER
AND PEOPLE THAT DIET IN GENERAL.
SHE WAS ALSO ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO REVEALED ONE OF THE
GOINGS-ON IN THE SHOW.
>>HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
HARPER IS A TRAINER.
DR.
ROB ñ THE DR.
WAS INVOLVED IN THE STUDY THAT
SHOWS THAT THIS WAY OF TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT DOES NOT WORK.
>>YES, FOR THE VAST MAJORITY
OF PEOPLE.
>> THERE ARE CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS.
>>IT'S POSSIBLE IT HAS HAPPENED IN SOME SEASONS AND NOT OTHERS.
>> I AM GIVING YOU THAT CONTEXT.
LET ME TELL YOU HOW MUCH I DESPISE THE SHOW.
TO BE HONEST, I COULDN'T STAND IT BEFORE WE KNEW ANY OF
THE SHENANIGANS THAT WERE GOING ON.
THE WHOLE IDEA IS TO TAKE OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE AND CALL
THEM LOSERS.
I GET IT, IT IS A PUN.
BELIEVE ME, I KNOW ABOUT PUNS.
THEN WE ALL AS A COUNTRY LOOK AT THEM, JUDGE THEM, QUIETLY
LAUGH AT THEM.
THEN WE GO THROUGH THE DRAMA, THE MELODRAMA.
I DID NOT NEED ALL THESE CONTESTANTS TO COME OUT,
AND THE STUDIES, TO KNOW THAT THIS IS A TERRIBLE WAY TO DIET.
I DID NOT NEED ALL OF THEM TO COME OUT TO TELL ME THAT IT
TURNS OUT THEY WERE DOING ALL THESE THINGS TO CREATE EVEN
MORE DRAMA FOR THE SHOW.
THEY PUT THEM IN ON AIR-CONDITIONED ñ
THIS IS THE PART THAT SICKENS ME.
NOT ONLY DO THEY PUT THEM IN NON AIR-CONDITIONED ROOMS, MADE
THEM SLEEP TOGETHER, THEY TOOK AWAY THE CURTAINS FROM THE
SHOWERS AND MADE THEM SHOWER TOGETHER TO SHAME THEM SO
THAT THEY WOULD LOSE MORE WEIGHT.
THEN THEY MADE THEM GO INTO PORTA POTTY'S TO GO TO THE
BATHROOM.
YOU ARE TELLING ME A SHOW THAT IS MAKING MILLIONS UPON
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS COULDN'T AFFORD A PLACE FOR THEM TO
STAY WHERE THERE HAD REGULAR BATHROOMS?
>> THIS ISN'T IN LA, THIS IS IN THE DESERT SOMEWHERE.
>> THEY MAKE THEM GO IN PORTA POTTYS BECAUSE IT IS HARD
TO GET IN THERE SO THERE IS MORE SHAME ABOUT THEIR WEIGHT.
THEY
DRIVE THEM.
ONE OF THE CONTESTANTS EXPLAINS THAT THEY
ACTUALLY HAD HER GAIN MORE WEIGHT BEFORE THE SHOW STARTED.
>>SHE WASN'T BIG ENOUGH TO BEGIN WITH.
>> THEY SAID YOU NEED TO GET FATTER SO THAT HER WEIGHT
LOSS COULD BE MORE DRAMATIC.
OF COURSE THEY ARE DOING ALL THIS CRAP.
IT WAS HONESTLY A GROTESQUE SHOW FROM THE BEGINNING.
NOW THEY FIND OUT ALL THE DETAILS IT IS EVEN MORE SICK.
>>I WANT TO READ MORE OF THESE QUOTES.
THIS IS JOELLE FROM THE 2008 SEASON.
THAT IS AN UNFORTUNATE QUOTE THERE.
>> THAT IS WHY NOW I WANT TO SAY ON THE OTHER HAND YOU ALL
SIGNED UP FOR THIS.
YOU DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THEM GIVING YOU PILLS WHERE YOU
DIDN'T KNOW WHERE IT WAS.
I DON'T WANT TO EVICT HIM BLAME HERE, BUT ALL OF THIS WAS
VOLUNTARY TO A LARGE DEGREE.
YOU KNEW YOU WERE GOING ON TV.
YOU WANTED TO GET FAMOUS.
YOU PARTOOK IN THIS SOAP OPERA VOLUNTARILY.
NOW YOU TURN AROUND AND SAY OH, MY GOSH, IT TURNS OUT WE
WERE ON TELEVISION AND THEY WANTED RATINGS.
IT TURNS OUT THAT ON THE SHOW THEY WANT SOMEONE TO LOSE
THE MOST AMOUNT OF WEIGHT.
YES, THAT IS WHAT THEY DO.
>> IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, YOUR PASSION IS ADMIRABLE, BUT
YOU MIGHT BE GOING TOO FAR.
I THINK IF YOU GET YOURSELF INVOLVED IN A REALITY SHOW,
YOU OPEN YOURSELF UP TO THE SORT OF THING.
BUT IF IT IS PORTRAYED AS ONE THING, AND EVERYBODY THINKS
THAT THEY ARE NOT DOING STUFF
LIKE THIS, THEN YOU SIGN UP
FOR IT THINKING IT IS LEGIT, AND THEN YOU FIND OUT IT IS NOT
YOU HAVE A CONTRACT AND THEY CAN SUE YOU IF YOU DON'T CONTINUE.
THAT IS MESSED UP.
>>THAT IS A REAL ISSUE.
THEY CAN GO AHEAD AND ADJUDICATE THAT.
I AM NOW TALKING TO THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, WAKEY WAKEY.
THESE REALITY SHOWS ARE NOT REAL.
OF COURSE THEY ARE DOING STUFF LIKE THIS BEHIND THE SCENES.
KYLIE JENNER IS ON KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS.
I GOT NEWS FOR YOU YOUR MOM IS GOING TO FIND OUT
EVERYTHING YOU SAY.
HOW DO PEOPLE WATCH THIS CRAP WITH A STRAIGHT FACE?
THEY HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOREVER.
I KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE CONTESTANTS, OR WHATEVER
YOU CALL THEM, ON THOSE HOUSING SHOWS.
YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY?
ONE, THEY WERENíT LOOKING FOR A HOUSE.
TWO, ALL THE HOUSES THEY WERE SHOWN WERE NOT FOR SALE,
THEY WERE PEOPLE THE PRODUCERS KNEW.
THE WHOLE THING IS FAKE.
ITíS TV, THEY ARE MAKING IT UP.
THAT IS PROBABLY WHY YOU HATE TV, BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS FAKE.
>>I CAN'T BELIEVE ANYTHING ANYMORE.
>> THAT HOUSE IS GORGEOUS, BUT IT IS NOT FOR SALE.
>>AND IT ENCOURAGES RIDICULOUS OVERCONSUMPTION OF HOUSES.
I'M SURE FOR SOME PEOPLE IT PROBABLY INSPIRES THEM, AND
THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE KEPT THE
WEIGHT OFF, BUT I THINK IT GIVES AN INCREDIBLY FALSE IDEA OF
THE WEIGHT PROBLEM IN AMERICA AND HOW TO FIX IT.
IT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO LOOK AT PEOPLE WHO ARE MORBIDLY
OBESE AND SAY THEY ARE THE LOSERS, THEY ARE THE FAT
PEOPLE, I AM FINE.
ALL OF OUR BODIES ARE BEING RUINED BY THE FOOD THAT WE EAT.
WE ALL NEED TO CHANGE, AND WE SHOULDN'T CONTINUALLY LOOK
FOR A FATTER PERSON TO SAY THEY ARE THE REAL PROBLEM.
>> BY THE WAY THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN DONE ECONOMICALLY.
FIND SOMEONE LOWER THAN YOU ON THE ECONOMIC LEVEL, AND SAY
I AM NOT THE PROBLEM, THOSE ARE THE DEADBEATS.
THE SHOW DOES IT FOR WEIGHT.
I AM FINE, I AM WATCHING THIS TV SHOW WHILE HAVING A BEER
AND MY OREO COOKIES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING ME THE SHOW SO THAT I CAN FEEL
BETTER ABOUT MYSELF WHILE I GO DO THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS.
>>COPS TOO.
>> IN TERMS OF DIETING, DON'T DO EXTREME DIETS.
THEY ALMOST NEVER WORK.
YOU RUIN YOUR METABOLISM.
IT IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE WEIGHT YOU DO IT GRADUALLY AND IN
A SUSTAINABLE WAY.
>> AND YOU DO IT FOREVER.
YOU CHANGE YOUR DIET, THAT IS THE WAY IT WORKS OTHERWISE
YOU WILL INEVITABLY GAIN THE WEIGHT BACK.
>> IT IS A LIFESTYLE DECISION.
IT’S NOT SOMETHING YOU DO EXTREME.
I GET IT, WE ARE ALL HUMAN AND WE ALL DO IT.
BUT THAT IS NOT
THE CORRECT WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT IN THE LONG RUN.