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Originally posted by kd:
Did anyone see Larry King last night with the Biggest Loser contestants? I'm still mad.

I missed it. But I usually don't see King.

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Curious to hear what you guys think about the weight gain, the fact that the trainers didn't seem to stick up for the WINNERS, didn't acknowledge that the weight loss environment of the show is NOT REAL therefor gaining weight after the show IS TO BE EXPECTED and in fact....

Statistically… For most people who lose weight… to gain some back is to be expected… regardless of the method they use to lose it.

The National Weight Control Registry defines “successful” weight loss as losing and keeping off 10% (If a person weighs 200 lbs, losing 10% would be 20 lbs.) According to this NWCR study, about 20% of dieters meet this definition of success.

Weight Watchers did a 5 year study of their program. The average person in the study had lost 13%, or 22 lbs.

Two years out… the average person had gained back about 5 lbs or 1/3 of their loss.
Five years out… the average person had gained back 11 lbs or half of what they had lost.

http://www.weightwatchers.com/about/prs/wwi_template.aspx?GCMSID=1004431

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/28/health/main620201.shtml

I didn’t read the Larry King transcript all that well… but the fact that the contestants interviewed had lost a SUBSTANTIAL amount of weight and managed to keep MOST of it off is really remarkable!!!! And somebody should have said THAT!

In this NWCR study on weight regain…

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&d...10224727&query_hl=13

“Risk factors for weight regain included more recent weight losses (less than 2 years vs. 2 years or more), larger weight losses (greater than 30% of maximum weight vs. less than 30%), and higher levels of depression, dietary disinhibition, and binge eating levels at entry into the registry.”

The contestants meet a LOT of these criteria… that haven’t been maintaining all that long, they lost a LOT, probably some depression issues (Matt sure seemed depressed while the Biggest Loser was being filmed), and a history of binging.

Instead of focusing on how much they gained… I hope they also pointed out the awesome job they have done of keeping most of it off!

Because they really are (statistically) exceptional.

I agree, I won't watch Biggest Loser because of the tone of the show. I feel it is inhuman to treat people as if they are cattle. Larry King seems to be an opportunist, and for that reason I won't watch or listen to him. So I can't give an idea.

To avoid watching Larry King (I don't like him, either), here's the transcript. The Biggest Loser segment starts about halfway down the page. Unless you want to read about Michael Vick, I'd advise skipping down and skimming to where the Biggest Loser portion starts.

I know there is a "reunion" show airing September 4 -- was it previous BL contestants who were on Larry King?

I've seen photos of Season 2 winner Matt, and he seems to have regained a lot. His wife, Suzy, just had a baby, so of course she looked a little heavier, too.

But it sounds like most of these previous contestants have been unable to maintain their losses. Will be interesting.

Would have been interested to see it, but I'm not a big fan of Larry King's either.

Sorry, can't help you.

I don't watch Biggest Loser because I don't think it is real and I have never liked Larry King so I don't watch him either.