NBCīs Biggest Loser Fair Competition?
Terence Price
May 14, 2009
Last night, for several hours, I like many across America watched the season finale of NBCīs show, "The Biggest Loser - Couples". The transformations of the contestants and images of the hard work trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper put them through to produce those changes has been nothing short of inspirational. Last night, NBC, the show and the contestants on it did not fail to continue that trend. What is applaudable is whether to a lesser or greater degree all of the contestants lost weight. Congratulations to everyone who seized the opportunity to do it. Some of the contestants, however, lost a lot of weight -- in recognition of whom I offer a verbal standing ovation. For most, if not all, of the contestants, the reward of their appearance on the show has been losing weight, renewing their lives, and rediscovering confidence in what they can do and who they can be. Despite those valuable gains, the show also had a "big carrot" at the end and that was a quarter million dollar ($250,000) award prize to the person who lost the most weight in terms of percentage.
The Winners
Helen, age 48, of Sterling Heights, MI, won the season competition, and $250,000 grand prize, by losing 140 lbs (54.47%). Congratulations Helen! Helenīs transformation was fantastic. Watching her progress throughout the season demonstrated the resolve and optimism that earned her a transformed body, better health, and a quarter million dollars.
Jerry, age 64, of Wheaton, Illinois, the oldest contestant on the show, won the $100,000 At-Home challenge with his unbeatable weight loss of 177 lbs (47.97%). Congratulations Jerry! Jerry is also a winner, not for weight loss alone, but for the improvement his efforts have made to his over all health. America could see the stark contrast struck between the vision of the lithe glowing mature man standing next to Caroline at the finale and his heavier version collapsed on the gym floor earlier in the season.
Wow! Now That Seems a Little Strange
Despite the inspirational quality of the show, the winner was both surprising and perplexing. Three finalist, Helen, Tara, and Mike, Helen, the eventual winner (she lost 140 lbs 54.47%), Tara the champion of the challenges faced by the contestants, but not the biggest weight loser (she lost 155 lbs 52.72%), and Mike, with phenomenal weight loss (he lost 207 lbs 53.35%). Helenīs victory in the face of Mikeīs performance is perplexing, even given the percentage weight loss rule to determine the winner.
Mike Morelli, age 18, of South Lyon, MI, the youngest contestant, and one of the three finalist, lost the most amount of weight for the season and in the history of the show. Mike lost 207 lbs (53.35%). Yet Mike was not the winner and to beat Helen was expected to lose more than the 207 lbs of weight he did lose.
The winner was determined by percentage weight loss. In this particular case this approach seems questionable. Not to demean the victory of Helen, whose triple digit weight loss is unquestionably laudable, something seems skewed that Mike who lost almost one and a half that amount did not win this seasonīs competition.
Fatty Need Not Apply
The formula of using the percentage weight loss fuzzily defines who can win the competition. Such factors of starting weight, and the amount of weight loss have unforeseen restrictive aspects that should be more thoroughly explored, explained and understood. The impression given is Mike suffered a penalty for weighing more from the beginning. The impression is of a rule that says the more a contestant weighs the less certain he will win, not for quantity of weight loss, but the percentage of weight loss in comparison to a less weighty competitor. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the outcome of this seasonīs competition.
Possibly, only a given range of weights should be accepted onto the program, because as the weight increases so does the likelihood of winning given all other things being equal. If a person started with a weight of 420 lbs they would have to lose close to 229 lbs to match Helenīs percentage weight loss.
In four months such weight loss would be equal to close to 2 lbs a day and about 13 lbs a week, compared to a starting weight of 257 lbs and losing 140 lbs, close to 1 lb a day, and 8 lbs a week. Does not seem well matched? Interpreted into kcals, the heavier person would have to lose close to 7000 kcals per day to match Helenīs 3500 kcals per day weight loss.
Is This Fair?
A result of the type above not only means less calorie consumption, but it also means more calorie burning greater stress on the body and greater magnitude of physiological changes for the heavier person and just to tie. A heavier person has to work harder, lose more, eat less, undergo far more stress and strain to his/her body to just tie, nevertheless win. But the heavier person can go from being overweight to the right weight or maybe even underweight and still lose to an opponent who started off less weighty. Whatīs up here; does not seem fair to me. Again, Helenīs weight loss was fantastic and Iīm happy for her. Iīm happy for Tara and Mike, all three, and for everyone else who took the challenge and transformed their lives so radically. But is this message what the producers of The Biggest Loser want to convey? To see Mike, lose so much weight, over 200 lbs, and to see him lose so completely, not winning the $250.000 or the $100,000, seems a tad off the mark of what the show is about. This guyīs resolve, commitment, and performance deserve greater consideration and recognition than I believe he has received.
The Winners
Helen, age 48, of Sterling Heights, MI, won the season competition, and $250,000 grand prize, by losing 140 lbs (54.47%). Congratulations Helen! Helenīs transformation was fantastic. Watching her progress throughout the season demonstrated the resolve and optimism that earned her a transformed body, better health, and a quarter million dollars.
Jerry, age 64, of Wheaton, Illinois, the oldest contestant on the show, won the $100,000 At-Home challenge with his unbeatable weight loss of 177 lbs (47.97%). Congratulations Jerry! Jerry is also a winner, not for weight loss alone, but for the improvement his efforts have made to his over all health. America could see the stark contrast struck between the vision of the lithe glowing mature man standing next to Caroline at the finale and his heavier version collapsed on the gym floor earlier in the season.
Wow! Now That Seems a Little Strange
Despite the inspirational quality of the show, the winner was both surprising and perplexing. Three finalist, Helen, Tara, and Mike, Helen, the eventual winner (she lost 140 lbs 54.47%), Tara the champion of the challenges faced by the contestants, but not the biggest weight loser (she lost 155 lbs 52.72%), and Mike, with phenomenal weight loss (he lost 207 lbs 53.35%). Helenīs victory in the face of Mikeīs performance is perplexing, even given the percentage weight loss rule to determine the winner.
Mike Morelli, age 18, of South Lyon, MI, the youngest contestant, and one of the three finalist, lost the most amount of weight for the season and in the history of the show. Mike lost 207 lbs (53.35%). Yet Mike was not the winner and to beat Helen was expected to lose more than the 207 lbs of weight he did lose.
The winner was determined by percentage weight loss. In this particular case this approach seems questionable. Not to demean the victory of Helen, whose triple digit weight loss is unquestionably laudable, something seems skewed that Mike who lost almost one and a half that amount did not win this seasonīs competition.
Fatty Need Not Apply
The formula of using the percentage weight loss fuzzily defines who can win the competition. Such factors of starting weight, and the amount of weight loss have unforeseen restrictive aspects that should be more thoroughly explored, explained and understood. The impression given is Mike suffered a penalty for weighing more from the beginning. The impression is of a rule that says the more a contestant weighs the less certain he will win, not for quantity of weight loss, but the percentage of weight loss in comparison to a less weighty competitor. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the outcome of this seasonīs competition.
Possibly, only a given range of weights should be accepted onto the program, because as the weight increases so does the likelihood of winning given all other things being equal. If a person started with a weight of 420 lbs they would have to lose close to 229 lbs to match Helenīs percentage weight loss.
In four months such weight loss would be equal to close to 2 lbs a day and about 13 lbs a week, compared to a starting weight of 257 lbs and losing 140 lbs, close to 1 lb a day, and 8 lbs a week. Does not seem well matched? Interpreted into kcals, the heavier person would have to lose close to 7000 kcals per day to match Helenīs 3500 kcals per day weight loss.
Is This Fair?
A result of the type above not only means less calorie consumption, but it also means more calorie burning greater stress on the body and greater magnitude of physiological changes for the heavier person and just to tie. A heavier person has to work harder, lose more, eat less, undergo far more stress and strain to his/her body to just tie, nevertheless win. But the heavier person can go from being overweight to the right weight or maybe even underweight and still lose to an opponent who started off less weighty. Whatīs up here; does not seem fair to me. Again, Helenīs weight loss was fantastic and Iīm happy for her. Iīm happy for Tara and Mike, all three, and for everyone else who took the challenge and transformed their lives so radically. But is this message what the producers of The Biggest Loser want to convey? To see Mike, lose so much weight, over 200 lbs, and to see him lose so completely, not winning the $250.000 or the $100,000, seems a tad off the mark of what the show is about. This guyīs resolve, commitment, and performance deserve greater consideration and recognition than I believe he has received.
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