THE CONTESTANTS ON THE BIGGEST LOSER OF COURSE LOSE DOZENS,
IF NOT HUNDREDS OF POUNDS.
BUT RECENTLY THERE WAS A SIX-YEAR STUDY THAT FOLLOWED
THE CONTESTANTS OF THE SEASON EIGHT ñ
>>NBC REALITY TV THE SHOW THE BIGGEST LOSER.
>> THERE WAS A STUDY WHERE RESEARCHERS FOLLOW THE
CONTESTANTS FROM SEASON EIGHT TO SEE WHAT THEIR HABITS WERE,
WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE GOING TO GAIN WEIGHT BACK.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THEIR LIFE AND HOW DID IT IMPACT THEM?
RESEARCHERS WENT INTO THIS NOT REALLY KNOWING WHAT THE
OUTCOME WOULD BE.
WHAT THEY FOUND WAS SHOCKING, AND EXTREMELY DEVASTATING FOR
THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT OR MAINTAIN YOUR
WEIGHT LOSS.
IT HAS TO DO WITH TWO THINGS.
RESTING METABOLISM, ñ I DIDN'T KNOW THIS.
I WAS UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT IF YOU EXERCISE REGULARLY, YOU
EAT PROPERLY, YOUR METABOLISM WILL SPEED UP.
BUT WHEN YOU LOSE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT, IT IS THE
OPPOSITE.
YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A SLOWER METABOLISM, AND IT BECOMES
QUITE A CHALLENGE TO MAINTAIN YOUR WEIGHT, OR TO CONTINUE
LOSING WEIGHT.
A LOT OF THESE CONTESTANTS WOULD EXERCISE SEVEN HOURS A DAY.
THEY SEVERELY RESTRICTED THEIR CALORIES, AND THAT IS HOW THEY
WERE ABLE TO LOSE THE WEIGHT THEY LOST.
ONCE HE RETURNED TO NORMAL LIFE, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP UP
WITH THAT LIFESTYLE, AND YOUR BODY FIGHTS AGGRESSIVELY AGAINST
THAT WEIGHT LOSS IN THE FORM OF YOUR METABOLISM AND HORMONES.
>> I LIVE THROUGH THIS EVERY DAY.
I COME FROM A FAMILY OF OBESE PEOPLE.
I USED TO BE A VERY FAT PERSON.
I WAS PRETTY MUCH OBESE WHEN I WAS YOUNGER.
I LOST A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WEIGHT IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD
OF TIME THROUGH PURE DEDICATION AND HARD WORK.
I JUST BASICALLY STOPPED EATING.
UNFORTUNATELY, ANYONE WHO IS EVER DIETED KNOWS, THERE IS
A CONCEPT CALLED YO-YO DIETING WHERE YOU GO UP AND DOWN
DRAMATICALLY WITH YOUR WEIGHT.
THIS IS THE REASON, BECAUSE YOUR RESTING METABOLIC RATE, IT IS
COMFORTABLE AT THE CURRENT POSITION IT IS IN.
IF YOU ARE EATING 2800 CAL A DAY, AND YOU ARE FINE AND YOUR
BODY IS MAINTAINING IT, AS SOON AS YOU DROP A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT
OF WEIGHT YOUR RESTING METABOLIC WEIGHT FOLLOWS THROUGH WITH IT.
THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS YOU CAN DO TO KEEP IT GOING AS BEST AS
POSSIBLE.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS THAT YOU NEED TO TAKE
INTO CONSIDERATION IS GAINING MUSCLE.
YOUR BODY WHEN TRYING TO FEED THE MUSCLE WILL INCREASE YOUR
RESTING METABOLIC WEIGHT.
THAT IS LITERALLY ONE OF THE ONLY THINGS YOU CAN DO IF YOU
LOSE A DRAMATIC AMOUNT OF WEIGHT.
YOU WILL HAVE TO PUT ON MUSCLE, OTHERWISE YOU WILL NEVER BE
ABLE TO EAT MORE ñ
EAT A NORMAL AMOUNT OF FOOD AND MAINTAIN YOUR CURRENT WEIGHT.
>> THE ONE THING ANA MENTIONED, NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD GO
INTO DETAIL OR UNDERSTAND THE BIOLOGICAL SIDE OF IT.
THAT IS WHY IT IS ALMOST A BREATH OF FRESH AIR.
THERE IS A BIOLOGICAL REASON BEHIND IT.
THERE ARE EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE NOT WANTING TO MAKE A CHANGE, THAT
IS THEIR CHOICE.
BUT FAT SHAMING PEOPLE WHEN THEY DON'T REALLY
UNDERSTAND THAT THAT IS BIOLOGICAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT
GO INTO THIS ñ STUDIES LIKE THIS ARE NEEDED.
THOSE CONTESTANTS ñ I THINK THE SHOW WAS ABSURD, I NEVER
REALLY ENJOYED IT ANYWAY.
IT GAMEFIES LOSING WEIGHT.
THE EXPECTATIONS ARE DANGEROUS, THEY ARE NOT SUSTAINABLE.
THESE PEOPLE ARE WORKING OUT SEVEN OR EIGHT HOURS A DAY,
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY GO BACK TO EVERYDAY LIFE?
IT IS NOT SUSTAINABLE.
>>AND
ALSO I LIKE THAT YOU BROUGHT UP THE ISSUE WITH FAT SHAMING.
I THINK AS WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE ON GOVERNMENTAL ASSISTANCE,
BEING STEREOTYPED AS LAZY, IT IS THE SAME THING FOR PEOPLE WHO
ARE OVERWEIGHT.
THEY ARE IMMEDIATELY CAST OFF AS LAZY.
BUT THERE ARE SO MANY GENETIC FACTORS, OR BIOLOGICAL FACTORS
THAT PLAY A ROLE IN WHETHER OR NOT WE WILL LOSE THAT WEIGHT,
MAINTAIN THAT WEIGHT LOSS.
IT NOT ONLY HAS TO DO WITH YOUR METABOLISM, IT ALSO HAS TO DO
WITH HORMONES.
WHEN IT COMES TO METABOLISM, KEEP IN MIND THAT WHEN THESE
CONTESTANTS STARTED GAINING THAT WEIGHT BACK, THEIR METABOLIC
RATE DID NOT RECOVER 100%.
THE BIGGEST LOSER FROM THAT SEASON WAS A GENTLEMAN NAMED
CAHILL.
APPARENTLY HE WAS ONE OF THE WORST OFF.
>> YEAH.
ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE HAVE NOT TOUCHED ON YET IS
EDUCATION ABOUT THIS.
THERE ARE A BUNCH OF GREAT DOCUMENTARIES THAT YOU CAN
WATCH.
I THINK "FED UP" IS ONE OF THEM.
IT TALKS ABOUT CARB ADDICTION.
THERE IS A LOT OF INCORRECT
ASSUMPTIONS, LIKE CARBS ARE
BAD FOR YOU, OR FATS ARE GOOD FOR YOU, OR BAD.
THESE ARE ALL FADS.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS WHATEVER
DIET YOU CAN STICK TO FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, YOU SHOULD
PROBABLY TRY IT.
EVEN IF THAT MEANS LOSING WEIGHT AT A SLOWER RATE.
>> IT'S NOT REALLY A DIET.
IT IS MORE OF A LIFESTYLE CHANGE.
THE POINT OF THIS IS YES, YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE, YOU
CAN WORK OUT AND EAT RIGHT, BUT EVEN DOING THAT FOR SOME
PEOPLE IS NOT ENOUGH.
AGAIN THERE IS METABOLIC RATE.
THERE IS A HORMONE CALLED LEPTIN.
IT'S THE HORMONE THAT BASICALLY STOPS YOU FROM FEELING HUNGRY.
WHEN THESE CONTESTANTS LOST TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF WEIGHT,
THEIR LEPTIN LEVELS DECREASED.
IN SOME CASES THEY WERE GONE.
THEY DID NOT HAVE PROPER LEVELS OF THIS HORMONE, AND THEY WERE
CONSTANTLY HUNGRY.
YOU HAVE THIS HORMONE THAT IS CONSTANTLY MAKING YOU HUNGRY,
YOU HAVE A SLOW METABOLIC RATE, AND IT IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER.
YOU START PACKING ON THE POUNDS AGAIN AFTER THIS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SOLUTION IS.
THIS IS A DEVASTATING STORY, AND I'M SURE A LOT OF YOU ARE
WONDERING IF THIS MEANS WE ARE DOOMED.
NO, YOU SHOULD DO YOUR BEST TO STAY AT A HEALTHY WEIGHT.
BUT THE POINT OF THIS IS TO MAKE A VERY COMPLEX ISSUE EVEN MORE
COMPLEX AND MAKE IT EVIDENT TO EVERYONE SO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT
THOSE WHO ARE OVERWEIGHT ARE NOT THERE BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE.
THEY ARE NOT THERE BECAUSE THEY ARE LAZY OR MAKE BAD DECISIONS.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE A GENETIC MAKEUP THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN
YOURS.
TRY TO BE EMPATHETIC TO THEIR SITUATION.
TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY ARE COMING FROM.
INSTEAD OF BEING JUDGMENTAL OR CALLING THEM FAT, UNDERSTAND
THEIR OTHER COMPLEXITIES BEHIND US.
>>HASAN TALKED ABOUT THIS AS WELL, THE EDUCATION SIDE OF IT.
IT STARTS FROM YOUTH.
I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE WORLD.
THE AMOUNT OF FOOD THAT WE ARE ENCOURAGED TO EAT IN SCHOOL IN
COMPARISON TO HERE IS DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT.
THE UNITED STATES AND HOW THEY PROMOTE FOOD FOR YOUNG
STUDENTS IN SCHOOL IS PRETTY DIABOLICAL.
KIDS OFTEN ASSUME THAT THE FASTER OPTION- IT IS SICKENING
AT TIMES.
I HAVE BEEN ON SCHOOL CAMPUSES AT TIMES, IT IS SHOCKING.
THE OBSTACLES THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO MAYBE GET A
HEALTHIER OPTION IS RIDICULOUS.
GENETICS PLAY A PART IN IT.
BIOLOGY PLAYS A PART IN IT.
EDUCATION IS A HUGE PART OF IT.
THE FASTER YOU GET INTO A ROUTINE AND UNDERSTAND
THAT THESE WILL HAVE CONSEQUENCES ON YOUR BODY, THE
BETTER YOU WILL BE IN THE LONG RUN.
>> ALSO THE ISSUE OF YOUR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS.
IF YOU ARE POOR AND YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO GROCERY STORES
THAT HAVE FRESH PRODUCE, A LOT OF PEOPLE LIVE IN AREAS THAT
DON'T HAVE THOSE TYPES OF GROCERY STORES.
>>
PRODUCE IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN A BAG OF CHIPS POUND FOR POUND.
AT THE END OF THE DAY IS MUCH CHEAPER TO FEED YOUR CHILDREN
WITH THE SHITTY FOOD FILLED WITH FILLERS.
ONE OF THE THINGS I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH IS THAT IN AMERICA
PIZZA IS CONSIDERED A VEGETABLE.
THEY FEED THAT TO YOUR CHILDREN.
HOW ARE YOU NOT PISSED OFF ABOUT THIS?
THERE ARE DEALS OF PEPSI AND COCA-COLA THAT HAVE WITH
SCHOOLS SO THEY CAN GIVE SODA TO YOUR CHILDREN AT AN EARLY AGE.
IT'S RIDICULOUS THAT THE GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO
PROTECT AND CUT DEALS WITH THESE MASSIVE CORPORATIONS THAT
BASICALLY POISON OUR CHILDREN FROM AN EARLY ON AGE.
>>THAT IS WHY WE HAVE TO GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS.
THE REASON WHY THEY HAVE THOSE DEALS IS BECAUSE OF THE
POLITICAL CLIMATE THESE CORPORATIONS HAVE.