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I'm a big fan of Biggest Loser etc. It shows regular folks exactly what they can do to get back into better shape, albiet in an extreme form.

Eating wisely and exercising with vigor do more for metabolic, musculo-skeletal and psychological health than anything the medical industry can throw at people.

OK, Biggest Loser is extreme. People don't have to go to those lengths. My weight loss target would be 1% of body weight per week. How people lose 8Kg is beyond me and unsustainable for mere mortals.

I would think that if people in exceptionally poor physical condition could be encouraged to take a month or two off work (their holidays or long service leave) and spend it in a place where they could receive sound advice and encouragement - and it was underwritten by Medicare - we'd save this country billions of dollars and give people back their lives.

The great tragedy is the Medicare system encourages people to swallow an Avpro, a Lipitor, a Prilosec, a Gliclazide and a Prozac, and then pats itself on the back because people are living longer.

Regards

 

John Miller

The Biggest Loser has done much for the fitness industry in terms of promoting personal training as a career.

The Biggest Loser gives current PT's exercise and programming ideas, and a massive insight in to the psyche behind weight gain - the emotional side to obesity and weight loss.

It also gives current PT's an insight in to what it takes to be at the top of your game. It serves as a great way to motivate young PT's to become better - more professional and better educated.

Although sometimes I cringe at the crazy things contestants are asked to do - like pulling a train/ truck!

I believe that the Biggest Loser also does a good job in terms of promoting fitness as a career. Many of the contestants go on to become PTs. And I am sure that many people watching the show also choose to try out a career in fitness.

The Biggest Loser  is a sensationalised Television show, it actually has nothing to do with the "Reality" of those who struggle to loose, or gain, weight every day........if everyone could have (& afford) a PT, Dietician, a housekeeper, babysitter, no bills to pay & have a private income to cover any costs, then I would say it is possibly reality.........if you want to show reality, go into a gym or a PT studio, see how it's done in there.....but that wouldn't be "WOW" enough for those who want to see people fall over, crying, being yelled at......would it now?

When I was studying (part time) Cert III and Cert IV in Fitness we used Biggest Loser as an example of what not to do to our clients and why. The show was a catalyst for enthusiastic discussions. Get a deconditioned 100kg+ person to do multiple box jumps? Personally I love all those fat camp shows for the drama.

Good on those participants  who find their way at the end of it all to an injury free active and healthy lifestyle.

Im not convinced myself, I agree too, if everyone had 24 hour PT's sure great idea but it poses the problem on what happens when it is all over, do they continue with the same regime? Also all these people are highly obese, it doesnt take into account people that are not so obese and may not be suited to this sort of training. You wonder also what is actually being shown is it reality, or is it staged to get audience viewers to improve ratings. The psychological side of it bothers me. These people are crying, upset, then hugging everyone and seem mentally disturbed. Its hard enough losing weight than dealing with pressure of knowing you will be on national television and then living in a house with them too? It does not seem to equate to everday life. Most poeple overweight go to work every day and deal with real life senarios of work/home/family etc. This is a reality show to boost ratings.

I apologise if I offend any one but that is just my opinoin only. Losing weight and exercising is a lifestyle change not a 6 week or 3 month challenge etc. Just my opinion anyway. But people seem to like it and my clients love watching it and if it motivates them to exercise and seek Personal Training I guess thats a good thing.

Again I agree with John, at least the Biggest loser show says that even though your obese you can do something about it. A lot of obese people try dieting and then a bit of walking and if they don't get any results they give up.

At least this show is promoting that exercise and eating correctly will change your life, if we got the same level of support from our Governments then we might see even more interest in being healthy. Some minor Advertising on Television will not work it has to be more than that.

I'm not a great fan of the show because of a number of points already mentioned above. It is way too far removed from reality to be remotely called reality tv. Contrary to some of the posts above I believe it sends the wrong message. It suggests very heavily that the only way an obese person can lose their excess fat is to undertake an extreme form of exercise program. I'm also sick to death of these shows promoting calorie counting. Counting calories means you have to measure calories expended during exercise to offset those consumed. And don't get me started on the whole low fat message.

I hate these shows - reality is a long way from this sort of TV. Why is there a need to parade obese people in lycra, humiliate them and push them to the point of exhaustion. Someone will die and won't that make great TV! Spot on Pat about the low fat and calorie counting - this is very outdated thinking and shows how little research these professionals do.

I have only watched the ads - could not bare anymore (but hear lots from clients) - public humiliation of people needing help is not my cup of tea.

Hi April

I don't believe how a lot of these shows run is correct but with obesity at epidemic levels anything that shows that just because your obese,you can change is better than nothing. What is better a overweight person watching a silly relationship reality show or some thing that might plant a seed in their mind to change their life.

Let's face it the Governement is doing very little to combat this epidemic and the medical industry wants a continuing revenue stream. Until the Fitness Industry has a strong lobby group like the AMA it will continue to the bridesmaid and never the bride!

Clinton,

You've hit the nail on the head.

Fitness Australia is (hide) bound by the concept that it is outside the scope of practice of fitness practitioners to do anything that encroaches on the territory of doctors, physiotherapists and dieticians. We're lower down the health feeding chain.

According to the Fitness Australia code of practice, fitness practitioners are not qualified to provide people with advice about the prevention and treatment of any of the common personally-generated metabolic or musculo-skeletal dysfunctions, let alone prescribe treatments that could help them restore poor function to good.

Definitely no diagnosing and no prescribing.

Steer clear of anyone who wants to know how many sets or reps they need to do to build up a particular muscle; that's prescribing. Send them back to their doctor or radiologist. They're the experts.

Don't even think of getting out the sphygmo. You might find someone with high blood pressure and then what are you going to do? The only thing Fitness Australia would have you do is send them to their doctor who will, in turn send them to their chemist.

Don't even think of getting out the blood glucose measuring device. You might find a diabetic. Next thing you know you'll be rushing out for jelly beans.

Whilst it's the most effective assessment of metabolic dysfunction don't even think of gtetting one of your clients to do the beep test.

No maximum heart rate measuring, that's for the heart specialist.

Scales - banned, you're not allowed to diagnose someone as being fat!

According to Fitness Australia, fitness practitioners are not qualified to make assessments of people's strength and flexibility as a means of letting them know why they have particular musculo-skeletal pain. Pain is a disease. Steer clear of diseases! Tight hammies. Don't recommend a way to loosen them up. That's the doctor's job.

According to Fitness Australia you and I are not qualified to help someone who comes up to us and says, 'What exercises do your recommend for a crook back, a sore shoulder or a stiff neck.' Send them to a physio for the rub down, crunch, electric shock and the vibrator. 

If someone wants to lose a bit of weight and comes up to either of us and says, 'What foods do you reckon I need to eat more of and what foods do you reckon I need to eat less of in order to lose some weight?' ignore them. Fitness Australia doesn't believe we're qualified to make an informed comment. Send them to a dietician, or direct them to the NH&MRC's guidelines where the men will be invited to eat a loaf of bread a day! I kid you not. Tell them to Google ‘Diet Pyramid'.

If someone comes up to either us in dreadful metabolic shape, presume they're about to drop dead. Send them back to their doctor, or sit them down in a chair and wave a couple of scarves around for a minute - or tell them to walk around the block for 10 minutes three times a day. That's the Heart Foundation recipe for improving aerobic fitness - and they should know!

Don't suggest people work at a particular heart rate. That's prescribing. Send them back to their doctor.

It's not so much that Fitness Australia has to develop a strong lobby, (though that goes without saying) as much as supporting fitness practitioners as they elbow their way into the front line of primary health care for people with the common metabolic and musculo-skeletal dysfunctions. That's what we're trained to do. It's what we do better than the rest of the therapeutic professions.

It's because it's so simple and easy to do that people think we're all a bunch of mugs, including (I hate to say) Fitness Australia.

Finally, keep in mind that you can't solve fitness problems with medical solutions; that a crook back isn't caused by a lack of rubbing, diabetes by a lack of Gliclazide, high blood pressure by a lack of Avpro, any more than piles are caused by a lack of Anusol.

Regards

John Miller

At our studio we have two people from the biggest loser. Sam Rouen (i think thats how you spell his last name) from a few seasons ago who won the competition. He actually use to be a trainer with us but is not now but still comes to our studio to workout. He is the nicest guy ever and all his old clients absolutely loved him.

Lisa off the current season of biggest loser is at our studio too, she is also a very lovely too. Everything is suppose to be heaps secretive with her but she tells us everything because we're just having a normal human being conversation. 

Lisa is a wonderful inspiration for clients at our studio. But its funny hardly any of our clients know who she is. Her body though is absolutely stuffed up: shes got knee problems, hip problems and back problems. She also said that two other people off the show had to have knee re-constructions. 

She is training 6 days per week 2 times a day in preparation for the big finale show and she looks great but as you can imagine its taking a toll on her body. The trainer Shannon on the show according to Lisa is the nicest trainer out of them all, He came to the studio just to show her how to wrap her knee up properly and he always chased her up after she got voted out.

Well there you go, you be the judge, personally i think the dramatization on there is ridiculous and all the trainer in real life would have very big public liability bills. 

But they are just human beings like everyone else both Sam and Lisa are paying clients at our studio - so they dont get any special treatment.

Hi Tim.

This is great the hear! as we get a lot of  the negative stories but hardly every the positive ones. The number one reason why people don't join a Fitness Facility is Physique anxiety so anything that shows how overweight people can achieve is better than nothing. The show can also plant a seed in minds of slightly overweight or unfit people that if someone that is obese can change then so can I. It is not just people being overweight or obese now but also the low self esteem that can come with those problems and which often stops people from achieving.