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Biggest Loser TV Show

March 7, 2012 by · Comments Off on Biggest Loser TV Show 

Biggest Loser TV Show, It seems we’re seeing more weight-loss realty shows than ever this year, and while some provide great information and motivation, others (see: My 600 Pound Life) are just downright exploitation. To get an insider’s opinion on the dramatic boom in the world of weight loss TV, we talked with The Biggest Loser trainer, Bob Harper.

Among other things, Harper told us why some of these shows work and why others don’t:

Why do you think major weight loss has become such a big category on TV these days?
In general, this is a huge market today because people are obsessed with losing weight. When they can turn on the TV and tune in and see others who are struggling with the same issues, it helps to motivate them to do something too.

Do you feel that weight loss shows work for the participants and the viewers?
I don’t know about other shows, but The Biggest Loser has been on for a long time now; we’re on Season 13. We’ve established ourselves as an info-reality show where people can get some drama, but also good information. I feel like we have a good balance on our show of both, while showing you what they can do to change your own life. I always tell people that, if you want to lose weight, you need to get your support groups. For a lot of them, that’s The Biggest Loser.

Some weight loss shows just seem to exploit overweight people for entertainment. Where do you draw the line between motivational, educational television just ‘fat-gawking’?
I think that any time that you decide to put your energy towards the exploitive side of any issue, your views are going to be unbalanced. With The Biggest Loser, ours has stood the test of time. If you have someone on TV that’s just dealing with being overweight, but not having any kind of real tools or real strategies in place to help the problem, then you just become a voyeur watching their lives. And if you’re not getting anything out of it, the show is doing a disservice to that person who is overweight and their viewers.

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