“The Biggest Loser” or when reality TV turns to the Grossophobe show

Looking in the rear view mirror, in terms of TV is often faced with what you don’t want to see anymore. Therefore, “The Biggest Loser” is a perfect example. However, This American reality show program. Moreover, golden egg hen of the NBC chain from 2004 to 2016, submitted obese men and women, for several months, to extreme sports sessions and humiliating tests (build a food tower without using your hands …).

At the end of the season. Nevertheless, the one who had lost the most pounds, won the victory and the 250,000 euros in the key under the vasts of a crowd impressed by the physical metamorphosis. Nevertheless, The limited benevolence of the concept was suggested by the title. Similarly, “the biggest loser” both allusion to weight loss and contemptuous picnus.

“I was afraid that America will not accept it” – "the biggest loser" when reality

“The Biggest Loser: “the biggest loser” when reality The weight of the show”. For example, mini documentary mini in three episodes put online on August 15 on Netflix, traces the history of this fuel program with uninhibited cynicism and discrimination from another era, not so distant from ours.

The concept germinated in David Broome’s mind in a gym. Therefore, The executive producer says he saw an advertisement: “Need help. For example, Please help me. Therefore, Obese person seeks coach. Moreover, “I said to myself:” Here is our show, “he said in front of the camera. Moreover, I was afraid that America will not accept it. Therefore, I didn’t know if people wanted to find themselves facing this mirror. Similarly, »»

His fears disappeared as soon as the first episode was broadcast where the public responded massively present. “The Biggest Loser” has become an audiovisual phenomenon. The production received five hundred applications for season 1. a thousand for the next one “the biggest loser” when reality and even more for those who followed. “We wanted overweight and unhappy people. We realized that they were millions, ”says JD Roth, another executive producer, without ciller.

“To lose weight, the important thing is the diet. But it’s boring ” – "the biggest loser" when reality

“The goal was to offer an entertaining program in prime time. The most important thing to lose weight is the diet. But it’s boring on TV, says Bob Harper, one of the show’s sports coaches of the show. What was not boring was to see us screaming in a gym. In this case. screaming on candidates who are enjoined to push their limits, filmed vomiting or on the verge of fainting.

Regularly, the candidates were faced with tests. For example. ingest a maximum of calories in a limited time in the hope of being able to find his family for a few days. Or have to withstand pulled food as in an Alibaba “the biggest loser” when reality cave of the Junk Food. “I do not mean that all the trials were successful, but life is full of temptations,” defends JD Roth.

A hospitalized candidate

“It is not a situation that we meet in normal life. ” retorts Aubrey Gordon, author and podcasteuse denouncing prejudices on large people. Additionally, [Ce que de telles séquences étaient censées montrer]this is the idea that obese people cannot resist food. The goal is to have us draw conclusions on the participants from what we see them eating on the. screen in five minutes. »»

The show went very far. Too far. At the start of season 8, the candidates had to validate their participation by running a kilometer on a beach. Tracey Yukich. mother thirties crossed the finish line while “the biggest loser” when reality crawling, at the end, and spent the following days in the hospital. Diagnosis: Rhabdomyolysis, a pathology affecting skeletal muscle tissue. She ended up reinstating the game although Doctor Robert Robert Huisenga tried to dissuade him.

Regrets

The latter, doctor of “The Biggest Loser”, said that there were several aspects of the program with which he disagreed. “The physical tests could endanger the candidates. Some took place without my knowing it. “he said, reproaching the coaches for encouraging participants not to follow their nutrition recommendations.

The documentary collects the testimonies of several candidates. Some are grateful to the show. But most tell the repercussions of the show on their lives and their self -esteem. “The idea was extraordinary. They could have changed the concept to help millions of people, advances Joelle Gwynn. I do not know if production has understood that in the history of weight loss. there is good and bad, difficulties and “the biggest loser” when reality failures. The important thing is not speed but perseverance. »»

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JD Roth says “regret certain trials and temptations”. David Broome. he says that if the program had to be redone, he would remove the financial gain: “Saving his life is priceless. Words that sound like an awareness and a late mea culpa.