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Step behind the scenes of weight loss reality shows and uncover the disturbing truths these programs don’t reveal. From extreme and unhealthy weight loss methods to staged reveals and questionable advice from so-called professionals, contestants often face rushed contracts, mental health struggles, and unsustainable expectations. Discover how these shows manipulate reality and the dangerous impact on participants’ lives beyond the cameras.
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00:00She collapsed right there on the other side of the finish line, and that's when I realized there was a
00:04real problem.
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're discussing the disturbing behind-the-scenes secrets of reality TV shows centered on
00:11weight loss and body transformations.
00:14You can't have a show based on weight loss that's safe.
00:21Extreme and unhealthy weight loss methods.
00:23When it comes to weight loss reality TV shows, everything is done quickly, meaning contestants are often encouraged to take
00:30drastic measures.
00:31This is the first reality show where people make a physical change.
00:37That weight that we were losing was real. You can't fake that.
00:41Former The Biggest Loser contestants have spoken publicly about extremely restricted caloric intakes as low as 800 calories a day,
00:48half of the amount recommended by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
00:52Couple that with up to 8 hours of overexercising, and it's a dangerous combination that may lead to serious injuries
00:58and permanent damage.
01:00At the final weigh-in, we had to do a urine test, and they said, Ryan, there's blood in your
01:04urine, which obviously means you're so dehydrated.
01:07Show's gamifying weight loss pushed trainees to do anything, even starve themselves, to win the top prize.
01:13Ryan Benson, the first The Biggest Loser winner, admitted to using dehydration tactics to produce better weigh-in results, along
01:20with fasting for multiple days.
01:22The show went on, and it's down to 8 people, 6 people, 5 people.
01:29But I lost all focus about getting healthy, and the focus became winning.
01:34Questionable health advice from professionals.
01:36Weight loss shows usually feature at least one doctor as a medical advisor.
01:40But on The Biggest Loser, Dr. Robert Harzinga's advice to contestants, such as consuming more than just 800 calories per
01:47day,
01:47was at odds with what trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels were telling them.
01:51We'd keep calories at, for women, 1,200, for men, 15 to 2,000.
01:56I'd say the trainers may tell you to eat 800 calories a day.
02:00Stay the course.
02:01Eat the way you've been eating.
02:03Michaels was also penalized for giving her team members caffeine supplements to curb their appetite.
02:07Some participants on The Swan felt pressured to undergo extensive cosmetic surgery from the doctors,
02:13but especially from the show's life coach.
02:16I really didn't know that I could say no to some of the procedures being done.
02:21Nellie Galan, executive produced the show, and after the actual life coach left,
02:25she stepped in despite having no qualifications to do so.
02:29Children's weight loss shows.
02:31In 2012, The Biggest Loser announced that season 14 would include teenage contestants.
02:36Being overweight has been something that I've battled with my entire life,
02:39and I just end up snacking and binge eating, and it's really unhealthy,
02:43so I'm here to learn how to change how I approach that.
02:45The decision led to immediate backlash, with many people citing ethical concerns.
02:50Having adults practice extreme weight loss tactics on television was bad enough.
02:55But impressionable kids between ages 13 and 17?
02:59Thankfully, the show didn't require televised weigh-ins, and no one was eliminated.
03:03Although you'll visit the ranch during the season, you'll spend a good amount of time working out at home.
03:07But our trainers will still be checking in with you every week, and you cannot be eliminated.
03:13The UK series, Super Size vs. Super Skinny, also had a children's edition.
03:18Do you have anything else?
03:19Those are some snacks after that.
03:24Yep, that's some snacks.
03:26That's ridiculous.
03:26Since then, several shows have been dedicated to documenting adolescent weight loss journeys,
03:31including A&E's Quarter Ton Teen and MTV's I Used to Be Fat.
03:36Post-show weight gain.
03:37The level of dieting and exercise used on these shows isn't sustainable,
03:41which is why many people gain weight back as soon as they return to their everyday lives.
03:45After you lose weight, your body's metabolic rate will slow down.
03:50The number of calories that your body requires is going to decrease,
03:53and that's going to make it difficult for you to keep the weight off.
03:57After the show ends, they're no longer in an environment that encourages and aids them
04:01in eating healthy and exercising around the clock.
04:03And at home, the majority of participants stop training for hours a day, like professional athletes.
04:09But what I didn't realize was I was working out two hours a day,
04:11riding my bike all over town to go where I was going.
04:14I was exercising three or four times as much as a normal person.
04:18Season 8's The Biggest Loser winner, Danny Cahill, lost 239 pounds on the show
04:24and quickly gained nearly all of it back.
04:26Although it's ultimately the contestants' responsibility,
04:29the trainers seemingly don't help or educate them on how to maintain a lifestyle
04:33or keep the weight off once they've left the ranch.
04:36And I even brought up, could we do an aftercare program, you know?
04:40A lot of money aside from the show, psychological help.
04:44Uh, recovery, uh, gym memberships, whatever it took.
04:47Contestants' finances.
04:48We were looking for people who were overweight and unhappy.
04:52And once we tapped into finding those contestants,
04:55we realized there were literally millions.
04:59Appearing on any reality TV show requires contestants to take weeks or even months off from work.
05:04According to season 4 finalist Isabel Miller,
05:07she and her fellow The Biggest Loser contestants were paid a daily per diem to be miked at all times.
05:12But when they returned home, they had to adjust to this new, health-focused lifestyle,
05:16which can cost a pretty penny.
05:18Of course, everyone is competing for prize money, but winning was never guaranteed.
05:22The women on the swan were also surprised by the thousands of dollars
05:26they had to spend on upkeep of the cosmetic surgery they had done.
05:28In Cindy Engel's case, she spent $10,000 to have her breast implant fixed.
05:34I ended up having to get it fixed on my own, out of our own pocket.
05:39That's a lot of money that could have gone to something else.
05:44Contestants have been rushed to sign contracts.
05:46When people go on reality TV shows,
05:48they have to sign contracts and NDAs agreeing to the production's terms.
05:52It pretty much covered every base you could cover.
05:55It's one of those that say, oh, you could even die, you know?
05:57I mean, you won't sue us.
05:59Season 8, The Biggest Loser contestant, Tracy Jukic,
06:02said that she felt rushed to sign the contract.
06:04And while the producers agreed to let her have an attorney look it over,
06:08she claimed she felt pressured into signing it right away.
06:11I do feel like, at that time, that it was, like, my only hope.
06:15It worried me a little bit.
06:16But, I mean, what do you do? Not sign it and walk away?
06:20Season 4's Isabeau Miller had a similar experience,
06:23saying that the producers not so subtly implied that her hesitation to sign the contract
06:27could jeopardize her spot on the show.
06:29Behind the Scenes Manipulation
06:31Anyone who has watched reality TV knows that shows are heavily edited
06:35to manufacture drama and paid participants in a negative light.
06:39The producers, they were waiting for us to have an argument,
06:42for me to either respond to her berating me and yelling at me.
06:48With weight loss shows, producers are far more focused on entertainment
06:51than on real-life health journeys.
06:53And they need participants to be emotionally vulnerable
06:56and to fill certain roles, especially villains.
06:59I'm down to 335!
07:01Being sleep-deprived and hungry certainly makes it easier for people to get into fights,
07:05which would make for great TV.
07:07Some people who appeared on the UK's controversial show Fat Families
07:10were allegedly told to eat extra food on camera,
07:13playing into the stereotype that overweight people are constantly overeating.
07:17Similarly, Suzanne Mendonca claimed that she was told by producers
07:21to put on more weight before Season 2 of The Biggest Loser.
07:24Why are we going to continue this and let producers make billions of dollars off of us?
07:29That's when I came forward.
07:30Staged Reveals
07:31For nearly every reality competition show, it all comes down to the big reveal.
07:35And producers will go to great lengths to ensure it's a spectacle.
07:39You knew if you were the last person on the scale,
07:42you either lost the most amount of weight,
07:44or there was some other dramatic twist,
07:47like the week that Neil gained 17 pounds.
07:50On The Biggest Loser,
07:51the weekly weigh-ins were actually farther apart
07:53to ensure dramatic results and reveals,
07:55portraying weight loss as a quick and easy process.
07:58With The Swan,
07:59the women weren't initially told they'd be competing with each other in a beauty pageant,
08:03or that they couldn't look in the mirror until the finale.
08:05I think everyone was in shock when they realized it was a winner-loser situation.
08:11And I still thought I was doing it for myself,
08:13and this was all about my goal and my transformation.
08:16They were also made to appear frumpier in their before photos.
08:20Unrealistic Expectations
08:21People often want a fast and simple solution for weight loss,
08:25and these TV shows capitalize on that by offering a recipe for rapid results.
08:29Not only are extreme diets and exercise routines medically dangerous,
08:32but they're also misleading.
08:34I think it's reckless.
08:35It's for people to tip into serious areas,
08:40and they're not qualified to handle this.
08:44On The Biggest Loser,
08:45contestants temporarily lived in a highly structured environment
08:48that's solely focused on weight loss.
08:50That's something very few, if any, people can replicate in their normal lives
08:53because they don't have the same resources,
08:55like nutritionists and celebrity trainers.
08:57I don't think it's realistic for anyone to maintain that level of activity
09:02unless they happen to be a professional athlete
09:04and they're paid to work out six hours a day,
09:07which most Americans are not.
09:09Shows like Extreme Weight Loss and The Swan portray cosmetic surgery
09:12as a quick fix to perceived imperfections
09:14without discussing the inherent risks or expenses of the procedures.
09:19Contestants' mental health
09:20Weight Loss shows rarely, if ever, consider how the experience affects the participants mentally.
09:25My mind is racing a mile a minute thinking, what is the right decision?
09:30That's mean.
09:31We go through enough.
09:33Producers want interpersonal conflicts and emotional breakdowns
09:36because it's good for ratings.
09:38Never mind how those situations take a toll on the contestants.
09:41And it doesn't help that they are often isolated from their families and support systems.
09:45Body shaming and name-calling are considered tough love.
09:48And while some people may find it motivating,
09:51the psychological brutality can tear others down.
09:53People like making fun of bad people.
09:56It's just what they do.
09:58Get off of the bars!
10:01That was the first time I ever felt that tinge of what Loser meant.
10:08Seeing contestants work hard to meet their goals can be inspiring,
10:11but it sends the message that losing weight will solve life's problems and bring true happiness.
10:16Not everyone finds success on programs like The Biggest Loser,
10:19and some leave the show feeling worse than they did when they went in.
10:22I didn't know who I was.
10:25Financially, emotionally, mentally, physically.
10:29You know, I came back with severe eating disorder.
10:34What do you think about weight loss shows?
10:36Let us know in the comments below.