Whether you are inspired or repelled by the The Biggest
Loser and other weight loss “reality” shows, I can tell you that most in the
fitness industry are horrified. Contestants perform high-risk exercises in poor
form, they are shouted at and humiliated. Trainers yell and belittle the clients while
showing no regard for progression or form.
The concern of many in the fitness industry is that
consumers will believe this to be normal behavior for personal trainers. There is also the worry that many will believe
losing hundreds of pounds is achievable with the “right” trainer. Remember that the producers of these shows
decide exactly what we do and do not see. The shows are edited for dramatic effect, and you can be sure that the mundane and tedious are left in the digital equivalent of a cutting room floor.
Despite the tactics, one cannot argue with the results, in
fact they are life changing. However, while
it is never easy to lose weight, results are practically guaranteed when you
are removed from your home environment and monitored by nutritionists, personal
trainers, psychiatrists and medical personnel.
Were we all to have those resources available (and free) there would be
no obesity crisis. On the positive side,
the shows do emphasize personal responsibility, making it harder to blame
obesity on McDonald's or soda, but their extreme training methods make them hard
for me to watch. I do not agree that
these shows are “ruining personal training”, but we should all remember when
watching these “reality” shows, that it is just TV.
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