I have to wonder about what part the dragging of a bus plays in a healthy weight loss programme for a woman(or a man for that matter :lol
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But that aspect aside, I would challenge the assumption that all obese people lack motivation. Even if they did-how would dangling an extrinsic motivator(ie money) act as a long term motivator for these people? Surely the show is setting they up for long term failure or yo-yo dieting in the future unless they work on individual intrinsic motivation.While those celebrity personal trainers might look like they can talk the talk -I don't think they are trained in accordance with the appropriate psychological board of accreditation. Such sudden weight loss/exercise routines would need to be accompanied by thorough personal assessment as to motivators and risks.Maybe the producers do this-but that guy a few years back really worried me.
Coming from a close association with the horrors of eating disorders shows such as the Biggest Loser really concern me.I feel they are ratings grabbing at the expense of real people-both those on the show and those watching .I feel the show gives a very misleading idea of the speed at which healthy weight loss can/should be acheived.Even if the say"oh this happened over a long period of time" we only see the weight falling off over a few weeks. It's misleading.
Don't get me wrong - I don't think the program is the savior of our society, or the health problems within it. - I just think it's doing far more good than bad.
As for the psychological aspect; the show has qualified professionals behind the scenes to handle the psychological influences. Not to mention, these people on the show appear to have all of the intrinsic motivation they need (ie: "I want to be alive when my kids grow up", or, "I'm at risk of stroke or heart attack", or, "I'm at high risk of Type II Diabetes", and so on, so forth.
A show such as this is less about the actual contestants, and more about sending a clear message that; through simple steps such as diet and exercise, people can make significant changes. Granted, there's much less 'free' support in the real world, and far more distraction; the show is more motivation for those watching it, than those within it; though those within it receive great benefits (in the way of a significantly healthier body).
You also have to realise, that while the show is shown over a particular period; their actual training duration is far longer than the show leads you to believe. The show is certainly misleading is many factors; though I still stand by its intentions. Nothing is perfect; and it's certainly playing its role.
Having said that; I can't stand the over-dramatisations the program offers. The constant pauses; the clearly staged theatrics; the excessive whinging; and the grand-standing the personal trainers try and provide. The show definitely controls what it sends out to the public; and thus controls the behaviour of the people within it. As I said at the beginning of this particular post, I don't endorse all aspects of the program; I do however appreciate and support it's intention.
