The Biggest Loser has helped motivate millions of fans to lose unwanted pounds. Year after year morbidly obese contestants have lost hundreds of pounds in short periods of time and their heartwarming and many times sad stories of why they gained that weight hit close to home in viewers homes, motivating them to get up and workout. Yet, the show has recently come under fire because many contestants have gained back the weight and there are even reports that contestants were encouraged to use drugs and even starve themselves to meet their weekly weight loss goals.
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In an article published by the New York Post, past contestants spilled the beans about how they were encouraged to lie about their weight and take street drugs, while starving themselves on the show.
“This show hurts people,” said Suzanne Medonca to ET. “I have heard people take diuretics on my season and I did hear [trainer] Bob [Harper] speaking about ephedra pills.” Ephedra is a drug that was banned by the FDA over 10 years ago and it’s used to promote weight loss and boost energy.
Show producers and even Bob Harper deny claims. “We prohibit the use of any illegal substances in addition to the many other rules and procedures of the show that are designed to ensure safety,” said producers in a statement addressing the claims.
There was even a study published on the journal Obesity earlier this month, which tracked 14 contestants over the period of 6 years. Each person lost an average of 100 pounds and only one of them was able to keep the weight off. The study found that the participants’ metabolic rates slowed down more than they expected, which made their weight loss much more difficult long-term. They also experienced more hunger, due to changes in the hormone leptin, which regulates your appetite.
What we have to remember is that these contestants are put under extreme circumstances and pressures, regardless if they used drugs or not. Any doctor will tell you that it’s not healthy to drop more than 2 pounds a week, it’s just not healthy and it will have long-term consequences like they do in these cases. The best thing you can do is go at a slow and steady pace and lose the weight slowly. That way you’ll be able to keep the weight off and your health won’t suffer any consequences long-term.