Of course Rachel Frederickson lost too much weight too fast. And yes, at first glance she appears anorexic. I’ve dated a gal who was anorexic. I know what anorexic looks like. Rachel looks anorexic. And if that is the case, then she has swapped one dangerous situation (catastrophic obesity) for another (anorexia).
That’s not to blame Rachel; she was in a competition that rewards pure weight loss at any cost, the only surprise is that this is the first time any contestant has done what she has done. (Or if she is not the first one, she certainly is the first to look as if she has.)
Oh no. This one is on the folks at The Biggest Loser. They have fostered a culture of “lose weight at any cost”, and this is the result. The only surprise is that Rachel is the first winner to look this drastic.
By focusing solely on weight loss, TBL promotes unhealthy practices in their “reality show” competition. Other contestants have admitted going to extreme measures to “make weight” for the weigh-ins, and it has not been uncommon for contestants, even winners, to regain every pound and then some.
But Rachel is the first winner to actually “look” unhealthy.
This should force TBL to take a long, fresh look at their format, and make some major changes. Here’s what I suggest:
(1) Fire every trainer and “expert” currently on the show. Irrespective of what good Bob, Jillian, and Dolvett have done, the time has arrived for new faces who will foster a new culture.
(2) Expand the contest to an entire year: three months at the ranch, and 9 months at home. Provide a prize for those who win at the ranch (perhaps $100,000) while allowing all contestants–including those eliminated–to be eligible to compete for the top prize at the end of the year. The contestant with the best performance off the ranch would get a prize (perhaps $100,000) and the overall winner would get ($250,000). This would create a potential for a winner to take home $450,000. Even an eliminated contestant could still win up to $350,000.
(3) Create a new standard–a Wellness Index–that is age-calibrated to score each contestant. That index should include a number of factors: lean body mass, body fat percentage, V02MAX, blood sugar, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol, and performance in selected physical activities. Provide each contestant with a score at the start of the season, and–each week–score them on how much they improve their score against that benchmark.
(4) Create an additional standard that would serve as a bonus that can help in close competitions. This standard would be behavior-based and would focus on food choices at home, preparation of meals, food selection at restaurants, ability to avoid unhealthy choices, getting proper exercise. This can include additional points for completing athletic events, such as 5K races, 10Ks, all the way up to ultramarathons and triathlons, with higher scores for more difficult events. (And winning any event would carry even more points.)
This would allow for some “game playing” on the ranch while rewarding sustained performance over the course of the year.
i’ve never watched the show and only know about it through whatever you post here and on fb. but it is surprising that such a show has only now presented this kind of result.
i grew up on the beach in florida where bathing suits were worn practically year-round. there was never any doubt as to what one’s body looked like. and there was never any shortage of diets of all kinds, tanning products, and wet-t-shirt contests. somewhere mixed in there with the abuse from my parents, their focus on how attractive i was to boys, my mom’s fixation with her body and their fixation with mine, they became concerned i had an eating disorder. i didn’t fall under bulimia (huge paranoid aversion to vomiting), and i didn’t starve myself like anorexia, so i didn’t think there was an issue … until recently when the definitions of eating disorders has expanded. i just read about orthorexia nervosa (http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/orthorexia-nervosa), and that’s probably closest to what i’ve done.
i would like to give myself credit for not being totally off the edge with eating disorders, but i cannot – only God can do that. still, it has been a huge struggle. i don’t know if i will ever not over-think every bite i put into my mouth. i have worked very hard not to pass any of it onto my girls, and i think, by the grace and mercy of God, i haven’t. they are content with their bodies and don’t get girls who obsess over theirs. i remember when i would would weigh myself multiple times a day, knowing when my weight changed by a pound, and adjusting for that. then one day i noticed my Oldest doing the same as a preschooler, and the scale was put up in the closet and never came out again. i have worked hard to like my body and to pass that onto my girls. i have worked very hard to help my girls accept and like their own bodies. it is a constant thing.
by the complete grace of God, i am married to the most amazing and forgiving man who never compares my body to anyone else’s and who absolutely loves me exactly as i am. that has gone a long way to help the way i perceive myself.
so, given all that, watching TBL would not be a good thing for me. i can easily see myself going to that extreme if i didn’t consciously and diligently keep myself in check.