Comments on: Quick Hit: Me on NYT on “The Biggest Loser”

By: Loveandlight

Loveandlight — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:37:18 +0000

The comments at Salon for this piece does feature one worth reading, written by Laurel962. If you don’t want to wade through the ignorant comments (those don’t bother me as much because I rather expect folks on the Internets to be very st00pid), here’s the most impactful paragraphs from that comment:

Last season, a woman finally won. One of the many ridiculous aspects of the show is that it pitches females against males, even though every doctor and researcher knows that women’s bodies are fundamentally different than men — different fat composition, hormones, less muscle mass, lighter bones etc. Women by necessity lose weight more slowly than men. But on “Biggest Loser”, contestants compete by percentage of weight lost, a system that is entirely unfair to the females.

So — how did they get a female contestant to win? I don’t know, but I smell a rat. The young woman who won was about 135 pounds in the second to last episode — already having lost 99 pounds in only sixteen weeks. Yet in the single last week of competition, she dropped another THIRTEEN POUNDS to win the title — or an entire 10 percent of her body weight. Frankly, this is not possible to do in a healthy way without purging, diuretics, illegal diet drugs, or starving. Furthermore, I doubt it is possible to maintain this kind of weight loss permanetly.

A little noted article in “People” magazine last year followed up with a handful of the show’s previous year’s participants — ALL had regained at least some of the weight, some a great deal. Most particpants refused to respond to the magazine’s writers, presumably because they have regained ALL or more weight than when they started.

I haven’t bothered to watch “TBL”, but having seen some clips from it on NBC’s website, I have to say that it relentlessly promotes the doctrine of the fundamentalist branch of the Church of Dieting! It was quite repugnant and developmentally arrested.

By: javamama

javamama — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:18:15 +0000

Hey, coming late to the party to cosign on what nightgigjo say way WAY upthread…

As a person who works out an hour a day, five days a week, and doesn’t suffer from disordered eating (ie eats the recommended number of nutrient dense calories for a person the size I’m “supposed” to be) I take offense at the article, and at reality shows in general. Sometimes, you do everything “right” and you’re just fat, just like sometimes you do everything “wrong” and you’re thin. (sigh) Sorry, preaching the choir here…

I’m not thin (anymore) and who knows why. Genetics? PCOS? Does it even matter? I bristle at the stereotype that I’m fat because I’m parked in my recliner in front of the boob tube, Dorito’s and HoHo wrappers wedged under my fat butt. And even if I DID do that, it doesn’t mean that is what MADE me fat. How many thin people do I know fit that stereotype? Many! But no-one is concered about the THIN recliner bound face stuffers or midnight fridge raiders, right? Right.

The whole concept of the reality show makes me hurl, but these weight-loss shows are just the lowest of the low. Even folks who DO buy calories in/calories out and regular exercise spout all the “slow and steady” mantra, and talk about “safe” weight loss being 1-2lb a week. So we’re supposed to see these shows as what, exactly? Something to emulate? Er, reality?

And Bean and Tapetum? Right ON!

By: Laurakeet

Laurakeet — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:44:49 +0000

Oh wait, must quote one more comment-title from that commenter: “Hairy Legs Are Not a Sign of Feminism, They Are Just Gross.” This character is really tapping into unknown territory. Really telling us feminists how it is. /snark

By: Laurakeet

Laurakeet — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:43:21 +0000

About Broadsheet trolls: I didn’t realize you can see all their comments, ever. I guess I usually don’t even click through to comments at all (SW points miser that I am – saving them all up for bad TV later! Much more fun…). How fun is it to see how fat concern trolls have so many other concerns. I read one from Bentia–of the sentiment that BUT BUT MORBIDLY OBESE IS REALLY REALLY BAD–and his/her other comments are equally golden, comically. I like just reading the headline given to the comments. Like “I’ll Damn Well Wave My Flag Whenever I Want.” Wow. DEEP.

Okay, back to ignoring the trolls.

And I am lolling my fat all over the place over here, which is great since it was a sad day (very sweet coworker’s last day, and she’s moving away…blub).

By: Dorothy

Dorothy — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:52:03 +0000

This is why I love this place, y’all just crack me up. Thanks for making my day better!

By: Linz

Linz — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:31:25 +0000

Y’all have reminded me of my lifelong fantasy of having the Wicked Witch of the West theme music play wherever I go. Someday… someday….

By: cowshark

cowshark — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:06:01 +0000

Ya know another thing I’ve noticed about the concern trolls when they’re saying we’re all gonna die is how _gleeful_ they are about it. Funny, when I’m genuinely concerned about something, I’m not very gleeful, but maybe that’s just me.

By: JenK

JenK — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:45:23 +0000

Okay, I’m going to do it…

Re: size / smarts, see Velma vs Daphne on Scooby-Doo :)

By: kateharding

kateharding — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:32:55 +0000

and because the Internet unfortunately is full of jackasses with big mouths.

Sorry we got here first. :)

By: Tapetum

Tapetum — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:18:12 +0000

Bean – I’ve noticed a trend towards the middle in brain/size assumptions. The skinny and beautiful are assumed to be airheads, while the fat are assumed to be dumb. Only the skinny but unattractive, or the stocky/muscular but not very overweight varieties seem to be allowed any possibility of brains.