THOUGHT BUBBLE
The Biggest Loser
by Terri Roberts
Issue date: 3/1/10 Section: Arts & Entertainment
For years, NBC's show "The Biggest Loser," has filled late night with emotional stories of extreme weight loss. We watch and follow these people as they lose pound after pound and gain confidence and their health back.
Inspired by the show, Lehman College has started its own challenge called, "Lehman's Biggest Loser." In the past year, teams were assembled as groups, with some people joining individually. This year the teams are divided into couples with the grand prize for the biggest loser couple being an IPOD for each partner, provided that they lose at least fifteen percent of their total combined weight.
The IPOD may be a real nice incentive and is probably the reason for most of the teams competing to lose as much weight as they can, but the main focus of the competition is to teach and encourage good skills to maintain a healthier lifestyle. These days more than half the nation suffering from obesity and an even more alarming number of children battling this deadly disease, being healthy and fit is a growing trend and concern for most Americans.
Magazines capitalize on this by showing celebrity before and after photos and telling their readers how they can reach the same results by following whatever diet plans that particular celeb did. What the magazines fail to tell their readers is the fact that not all diet plans are designed for everyone. Celebrities for example, not only follow a diet plan, but they also have nutritionists and personal trainers who keep them on the right track. Even the contestants on, "The Biggest Loser," are privy to a nutritionist, a strict dietary regiment, and three of the best personal trainers in the industry. Both these contestants and the celebrities of our favorite magazines, have the time and privileges to concentrate on their weight issues. So the big question looms, how does the rest of America design the best routine for them?
Most of the students in Lehman College are, for example, not only managing school and studies, but most are working a part or full time job, some have children to tend too, and others just simply don't have the funds or luxuries to hire a personal trainer and get a nutritionist.
Inspired by the show, Lehman College has started its own challenge called, "Lehman's Biggest Loser." In the past year, teams were assembled as groups, with some people joining individually. This year the teams are divided into couples with the grand prize for the biggest loser couple being an IPOD for each partner, provided that they lose at least fifteen percent of their total combined weight.
The IPOD may be a real nice incentive and is probably the reason for most of the teams competing to lose as much weight as they can, but the main focus of the competition is to teach and encourage good skills to maintain a healthier lifestyle. These days more than half the nation suffering from obesity and an even more alarming number of children battling this deadly disease, being healthy and fit is a growing trend and concern for most Americans.
Magazines capitalize on this by showing celebrity before and after photos and telling their readers how they can reach the same results by following whatever diet plans that particular celeb did. What the magazines fail to tell their readers is the fact that not all diet plans are designed for everyone. Celebrities for example, not only follow a diet plan, but they also have nutritionists and personal trainers who keep them on the right track. Even the contestants on, "The Biggest Loser," are privy to a nutritionist, a strict dietary regiment, and three of the best personal trainers in the industry. Both these contestants and the celebrities of our favorite magazines, have the time and privileges to concentrate on their weight issues. So the big question looms, how does the rest of America design the best routine for them?
Most of the students in Lehman College are, for example, not only managing school and studies, but most are working a part or full time job, some have children to tend too, and others just simply don't have the funds or luxuries to hire a personal trainer and get a nutritionist.
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