The Biggest Loser?

Just got a Facebook note from a friend about the latest episode of The Biggest Loser.

“I didn’t catch all of it last night (mainly because it hurts to watch the show), but a 210lb woman had to leave the biggest loser because she had a stress fracture in her hip. Maybe from running every single day?”

I am going to do something I don’t like. I am going to criticize a show I didn’t see. I hate The Biggest Loser. I watched it once. It made me ashamed and embarrassed to be in this field. What surprises me more is that there have not been more serious injuries in the show. The way they train the people on the show is an embarrassment to all of us who claim to know anything about working with overweight clients. I’ve been lucky enough to have helped my friend Hank Morse lose 115 lbs in less than one year but, we did it with no injuries and no abusive exercise.

I have said it before and I will say it again. If we abused any group besides overweight people, on television, for entertainment the way we abused these people on The Biggest Loser, there would be a huge public outcry. I guess we are doing something to combat obesity but boy do I wish we could do it better.