Episode
The Biggest Loser
54:35
Published: Tue Jan 19 2021
Description
This week we dissect the content and impact of one of America's most harmful TV experiments. Support us: Subscribe on PatreonDonate on PayPal Get Maintenance Phase shirts, stickers and moreLinks! Aubrey’s article on The Biggest Loser That's not reality for me': Australian audiences respond to the Biggest Loser "Cheapening the struggle:" obese people's attitudes towards the Biggest Loser The Effects of Reality Television on Weight Bias: An Examination of The Biggest Loser'It's a miracle no one has died yet': The Biggest Loser returns, despite critics' warningsThe Retrograde Shame of The Biggest LoserAnalysis of all contestantsNeoliberalism And The Realities Of Reality TelevisionThe “Reality” of Health: Reality Television and the Public HealthLife after NBC's "The Biggest Loser": The Experiences and Perspectives of Former Reality TV Contestants Thanks to Ashley Smith for editing assistance and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
Chapters
Author and podcaster Aubrey Gordon discusses the harmful practices and fat-shaming tactics of weight loss reality show "The Biggest Loser."
00:00 - 04:10 (04:10)
Summary
Author and podcaster Aubrey Gordon discusses the harmful practices and fat-shaming tactics of weight loss reality show "The Biggest Loser."
EpisodeThe Biggest Loser
PodcastMaintenance Phase
The host questions the effectiveness of weight loss shows that seem to present fat bodies as a freak show while claiming redemption through their restrictive diets.
04:10 - 06:51 (02:40)
Summary
The host questions the effectiveness of weight loss shows that seem to present fat bodies as a freak show while claiming redemption through their restrictive diets.
EpisodeThe Biggest Loser
PodcastMaintenance Phase
The Biggest Loser show depicted dangerous weight loss methods where overweight contestants were subjected to extreme workouts, while thin and physically fit hosts yelled at them, causing physical and emotional pain.
06:51 - 10:14 (03:22)
Summary
The Biggest Loser show depicted dangerous weight loss methods where overweight contestants were subjected to extreme workouts, while thin and physically fit hosts yelled at them, causing physical and emotional pain.
EpisodeThe Biggest Loser
PodcastMaintenance Phase
The term "week" on the show 'The Biggest Loser' is misleading because contestants are actually on the show for 2-3 weeks and there are people who are unable to lose weight due to medical conditions, which the show fails to represent.
10:14 - 17:06 (06:52)
Summary
The term "week" on the show 'The Biggest Loser' is misleading because contestants are actually on the show for 2-3 weeks and there are people who are unable to lose weight due to medical conditions, which the show fails to represent. Ultimately, the biggest loser is in the business of making a TV show and should not be taken as the standard of weight loss.
EpisodeThe Biggest Loser
PodcastMaintenance Phase
The show "The Biggest Loser" perpetuates harmful and unrealistic ideas about weight and body image, leading participants to feel like failures if they don't achieve a certain weight loss goal.
17:06 - 20:17 (03:10)
Summary
The show "The Biggest Loser" perpetuates harmful and unrealistic ideas about weight and body image, leading participants to feel like failures if they don't achieve a certain weight loss goal. Contestants are sold a fantasy about a future life that is often unattainable and the show's promotion of unrealistic expectations can harm their self-esteem.
EpisodeThe Biggest Loser
PodcastMaintenance Phase
Losing weight is often portrayed as a simple task, but the reality of it includes a lot of emotional and physical struggles that are often not talked about.
20:17 - 23:06 (02:49)
Summary
Losing weight is often portrayed as a simple task, but the reality of it includes a lot of emotional and physical struggles that are often not talked about. When the weight comes back, it can lead to feelings of failure and losing the vision of a better life that was imagined.
EpisodeThe Biggest Loser
PodcastMaintenance Phase
The show hints at providing mental health counseling, but only personality tests are conducted to determine who will make a good reality TV show contestant.
23:06 - 27:53 (04:47)
Summary
The show hints at providing mental health counseling, but only personality tests are conducted to determine who will make a good reality TV show contestant. The competition format creates a dystopian atmosphere, where drowning people in debt and using weight loss as entertainment becomes the norm.
EpisodeThe Biggest Loser
PodcastMaintenance Phase
This segment discusses a contestant from The Biggest Loser who is critiqued for her thin appearance and attire, highlighting issues within weight loss culture and tabloid media.
27:53 - 31:23 (03:29)
Summary
This segment discusses a contestant from The Biggest Loser who is critiqued for her thin appearance and attire, highlighting issues within weight loss culture and tabloid media.
EpisodeThe Biggest Loser
PodcastMaintenance Phase
Contestants of The Biggest Loser show have a slower metabolism than expected, years after their appearance on the show, which leads to weight gain and related health problems.
31:23 - 38:20 (06:57)
Summary
Contestants of The Biggest Loser show have a slower metabolism than expected, years after their appearance on the show, which leads to weight gain and related health problems. The show's defense is based on raising awareness of obesity, but science proves it is not just a character weakness but a complex issue.
EpisodeThe Biggest Loser
PodcastMaintenance Phase
Watching "The Biggest Loser" may motivate people to lose weight but it doesn't increase their ability to do so as it fails to teach people essential skills like cooking or how to choose the right exercise for them.
38:20 - 46:38 (08:18)
Summary
Watching "The Biggest Loser" may motivate people to lose weight but it doesn't increase their ability to do so as it fails to teach people essential skills like cooking or how to choose the right exercise for them.
EpisodeThe Biggest Loser
PodcastMaintenance Phase
The speaker criticizes Jillian Michaels for being hypocritical as she spoke against fat shaming while she herself has been known for her horrific fat shaming behavior in the past.
46:38 - 50:58 (04:19)
Summary
The speaker criticizes Jillian Michaels for being hypocritical as she spoke against fat shaming while she herself has been known for her horrific fat shaming behavior in the past. The speaker also sarcastically suggests making Jillian speak negatively about Beyonce to make her look bad on TV.
EpisodeThe Biggest Loser
PodcastMaintenance Phase
The article discusses the negative stereotypes that reality TV shows have in depicting fat people and details why these shows can be problematic for its audience.
50:58 - 54:26 (03:28)
Summary
The article discusses the negative stereotypes that reality TV shows have in depicting fat people and details why these shows can be problematic for its audience.