Dances With Fat blogger and activist Ragen Chastain has created a petition to keep kids off The Biggest Loser. I’ve signed and would like to encourage folks to consider signing and sharing.
This show has been a guilty pleasure of mine for many years. But knowing what goes on behind the scenes to create the “successes” of the contestants (and how these successes typically do not last), I have to weigh in (pun intended!) when it comes to a kids version.
I have no illusions that this petition will have any result (indeed, a commenter on Yoni Freedhoff’s Facebook page is concerned it will drive ratings higher). But I’m also convinced that remaining silent means that 1) producers will think this is fine and take it further next time and 2) there can be no meaningful discussion about weight, kids, stigma etc.
Ragen is going to be speaking later this week with the doctor who monitored the kids. I think it’d be great if this petition could get more traction before that conversation!
Weight Maven is written by Beth Mazur. Beth believes that obesity is more symptom than cause and that the real problem is our Western diet -- especially sugar, refined grains, and industrial oils. Beth writes about nutrition, ancestral health & food policy. And cats! 
When you say :know what goes on behind the scenes to create the successes”, could you elaborate further on that? I’m not aware of what you’re referring to and I would like to educate myself further before signing the petition. Thanks for the help,
NGD
Oops, sorry, I’m reading other posts of yours and getting the general idea. You can disregard. Thanks for your info and all of your hard work blogging. Appreciate it,NGD
Thanks! But just in case others are wondering, here’s a summary from the NY Times and an interview with Kai Hibbard, a former contestant.
I love the human interest stories on The Biggest Loser and have rooted for many of the contestants. But the only ones who seem to be successful long-term are those who take their (IMO) exercise bulemia out of the show and turn it into a fitness/coaching career where the importance of keeping up their new look overrides the things (like environment, family issues, stresses) that got them considerably overweight to begin with.
OMG, I just read both articles! Amazing information, especially reading/hearing about Kai Hibbard’s story! Thank you so much for passing it along! I appreciate having my eyes opened, as I too considered this show valid inspiration and a guilty pleasure. Any time someone who actually participated mentions the word “sub-human” over and over, it definitely makes you stop and think. I surely will sign the petition. Thanks again for all of your hard work and passing along the information. A Happy and most importantly, HEALTHY New Year to you and best of luck always,
NGD
Thank you so very much, Beth, for bringing this insane plan (the tragic exploitation of fat children) to the attention of your readers!
When I first heard about the possible inclusion of children on TBL, I freaked (ARGH!) and instantly wrote a post on the topic—it’s about what happens when we turn the bodies of children into machines.
I hope you won’t mind if I include a link to that post, here:
http://hopefulandfree.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/body-as-machine/
If you read my “body as machine” post, my personal point of view on the subject becomes very clear.
Again, BRAVA!!!, Beth, for sharing this opportunity for all compassionate readers to sign on (against oppression) and to become true champions on behalf of children. <3