The Biggest Loser Finale has been the subject of many a blog as of late. I understand that my perspective may not be unique or special by any means, but it is a subject that speaks to my heart.
Brief rundown: The winner of the Biggest Loser dropped an extremely disconcerting amount of weight in a short time, seemingly depleting muscle mass, and shocking America.
I do not recommend viewing photos or watching video to anyone that is susceptible to triggering. When I saw them: I was angry, I was sad, I felt sick and upset. The media flood that followed did little to elevate my confidence. People were issuing scathing remarks at Rachel - either criticizing her for "going too far for the prize money" and calling her "disgusting" or shutting down the former saying that her transformation was applaudable.
Both are unfounded. Both are wrong.
First, it needs to be stated that we simply cannot tell that Rachel has an eating disorder. From watching her on the show and reading the transcript of her post-finale interview, we know that her habits were extreme and unsustainable (almost certainly classified as disordered eating) but ONLY A CLINICIAN can diagnose an eating disorder. Yes, it matters - a lot - but there are issues far beyond her diagnosis on paper that need to be addressed.
What happened to Rachel isn't her "fault." What she experienced was a seemingly forceful implementation of unhealthy behaviors disguised as "healthy weight loss," a "lifestyle change for the better," and of course, the almighty aesthetic transformation. It is wrong and unproductive to blame Rachel. Rachel is human. Imagine coming to the Biggest Loser, struggling with a complex and troublesome relationship with food, then being conditioned and trained to view weight loss (at almost any cost) as your worth and success - then being sent home with no mental or psychological support. Yeah, we can't really imagine or understand it - so just be compassionate.
Rachel is a victim. Unfortunately, she is not alone.
The glorification of Rachel's weight-loss as a testament to health by the Biggest Loser is irresponsible. Millions of Americans saw unhealthy and disordered behaviors hailed as "hard work," "dedication," and..."victory." If Rachel's win sets a tone for competitions to come, it won't be long before a participant suffers major medical trauma, or even death (I know it sounds extreme, but its a genuine and realistic concern.) People watching the show are not only being fed a dangerous and grossly incorrect definition of "healthy lifestyle change," but significant numbers of people may be triggered into unhealthy habits themselves - and that terrifies me. NBC affected many more people than just those on the stage that night, and they should apologize to the people harmed by their actions.
Our bodies are NOT a competition.
Making your body a competition objectifies it - separating your thoughts, feelings, and senses from it mentally and emotionally. That, simply put, doesn't work. We aren't bodies - we are people. Our bodies take in everything the senses can grasp and respond to the beauty of the world around us. Our bodies are the vessels by which we interact with others and our environment. If participants on the Biggest Loser are led to believe that their body is the enemy and that losing weight at alarming rate, abusing exercise, and restricting the body's necessary intake is the best way to progress, something is WRONG.
When our bodies become a competition - everyone loses.
I hope genuinely that Rachel gets whatever help and support she needs to achieve a healthy mind and body. I hope that people around the country are having serious discussions about the dangers of exercise abuse, caloric restriction, but more importantly - turing our bodies into something they were never meant to be - less than human. I hope that those triggered by the incident get the support they need from friends, and that we as a society stand up for holistic visions of health that value the person above all else.
Brief rundown: The winner of the Biggest Loser dropped an extremely disconcerting amount of weight in a short time, seemingly depleting muscle mass, and shocking America.
I do not recommend viewing photos or watching video to anyone that is susceptible to triggering. When I saw them: I was angry, I was sad, I felt sick and upset. The media flood that followed did little to elevate my confidence. People were issuing scathing remarks at Rachel - either criticizing her for "going too far for the prize money" and calling her "disgusting" or shutting down the former saying that her transformation was applaudable.
Both are unfounded. Both are wrong.
First, it needs to be stated that we simply cannot tell that Rachel has an eating disorder. From watching her on the show and reading the transcript of her post-finale interview, we know that her habits were extreme and unsustainable (almost certainly classified as disordered eating) but ONLY A CLINICIAN can diagnose an eating disorder. Yes, it matters - a lot - but there are issues far beyond her diagnosis on paper that need to be addressed.
What happened to Rachel isn't her "fault." What she experienced was a seemingly forceful implementation of unhealthy behaviors disguised as "healthy weight loss," a "lifestyle change for the better," and of course, the almighty aesthetic transformation. It is wrong and unproductive to blame Rachel. Rachel is human. Imagine coming to the Biggest Loser, struggling with a complex and troublesome relationship with food, then being conditioned and trained to view weight loss (at almost any cost) as your worth and success - then being sent home with no mental or psychological support. Yeah, we can't really imagine or understand it - so just be compassionate.
Rachel is a victim. Unfortunately, she is not alone.
The glorification of Rachel's weight-loss as a testament to health by the Biggest Loser is irresponsible. Millions of Americans saw unhealthy and disordered behaviors hailed as "hard work," "dedication," and..."victory." If Rachel's win sets a tone for competitions to come, it won't be long before a participant suffers major medical trauma, or even death (I know it sounds extreme, but its a genuine and realistic concern.) People watching the show are not only being fed a dangerous and grossly incorrect definition of "healthy lifestyle change," but significant numbers of people may be triggered into unhealthy habits themselves - and that terrifies me. NBC affected many more people than just those on the stage that night, and they should apologize to the people harmed by their actions.
Our bodies are NOT a competition.
Making your body a competition objectifies it - separating your thoughts, feelings, and senses from it mentally and emotionally. That, simply put, doesn't work. We aren't bodies - we are people. Our bodies take in everything the senses can grasp and respond to the beauty of the world around us. Our bodies are the vessels by which we interact with others and our environment. If participants on the Biggest Loser are led to believe that their body is the enemy and that losing weight at alarming rate, abusing exercise, and restricting the body's necessary intake is the best way to progress, something is WRONG.
When our bodies become a competition - everyone loses.
I hope genuinely that Rachel gets whatever help and support she needs to achieve a healthy mind and body. I hope that people around the country are having serious discussions about the dangers of exercise abuse, caloric restriction, but more importantly - turing our bodies into something they were never meant to be - less than human. I hope that those triggered by the incident get the support they need from friends, and that we as a society stand up for holistic visions of health that value the person above all else.