A new feature at The Foundry, What Grind’s Graeme’s Gears. We decided allowing Graeme Marsh to rant on the internet was the best antidote to him going postal. Hopefully this will make you laugh as well as think.
What grinds my gears.….
Today’s topic is stupid weight loss television. Whenever a programme like last night’s “Who Know’s Best At Fighting The Fat” appears on my Sky guide I seem to get gripped by some kind of psychological need to self-harm by watching it. I cringe at the contrived situations and clichéd training scenes, but at the same time find it hard to change channel out of sheer morbid curiosity about what is coming next. I call this “Biggest Loser Syndrome” and this formulaic style of programming seems set to stay as our fascination with the ironically named reality TV remains.
While this little morning rant could easily segue into some kind of ad-hominen attack on the two weight loss experts featured in the show, I’d like to focus instead on some of the statements and approaches used in the show and their overall effectiveness and scientific basis. In fact, it is interesting to actually note whether in the long-term either of the two individuals featured sustained weight loss or lifestyle changes. The lack of any updates or follow-ups would suggest maybe not.
Two approaches were “trialled” in this programme and I use that in the kangaroo court context rather than any kind of meaningful scientific way. Paul, the trainer, took the questionable Jillian Michaels approach, promising to “kick his clients butt” by swearing and shouting at her, while Janet (the rather smug alternative therapist) used some kind of weird juxtaposition of meridians, tapping techniques, and hypnotic suggestion to change her client’s eating habits. The latter really only missing some kind of voodoo doll and healing crystals to help convince her client that doughnuts actually taste like ravioli. As for our trainer Paul; well he seemed a bit short of patience and resorted to hurling expletives at his lady who seemed unconvinced that crawling in the muck under a net was going to be of much use in helping her lose weight. Whether either of these methods is ultimately successful is highly debatable, the evidence is hardly convincing, but what is clear is that it certainly won’t leave the public any wiser over the solutions, or the real problems.
Of course, the reality of “fighting the fat” is often a long way from the TV show. Presumably, this is down to the fact that losing fat doesn’t make for very entertaining television, at least not in comparison to watching trim fitness types demeaning red-faced contestants huffing and puffing their way through some kind of challenge.
This is not a revelation. Back in the day when they filmed Pumping Iron (the story of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s battle with Lou Ferigno for the 1975 Mr Olympia title) they realised that as viewing went, watching people exercising wasn’t going to be terribly interesting. So, they created amusing storylines and situations and the very first reality fitness feature was born. Since then things have moved from the sublime to the ridiculous and the truth behind what it takes to lose weight gets buried deeper.
People don’t want to hear that losing weight (and keeping it off) means cutting out the sugar and refined foods from your diet, eating more vegetables, getting enough protein, and putting the effort in at the gym. In fact, you are more likely to be accused (as I was by an eminent dietician after working with an actress on a weight loss DVD) of being some kind of pseudo-Atkins fanatic – a catch-all and pejorative expression that seems to get labelled on anyone who dares venture the explanation that maybe sugar and not fat is the problem with the modern diet. Of course, I went a stage further by making such bold claims as “you don’t need to eat bread to get adequate fibre in your diet” and “there are better sources of calcium than just milk”. Quite clearly despite overwhelming evidence, this kind of advice is still considered heretic and will be always be passed over in favour of more voyeuristic and essentially bullshit approaches. Well, at least Channel 4 wont be short of programmes and at least you could eat your dinner watching it, unlike the vile Embarrassing Bodies!
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I fear we may have opened Pandora’s box with this and unleashed the beast
i love that picture. and that’s graeme being restrained!!
I had no idea Graeme could be such a grumpy old man.
After having the attitude for many years that the whole low-carb approach was a total fad perpetrated by celebrity magazines, and that the best approach to food is a balanced diet with plenty of veg, I have now been totally converted after reading ‘The Diet Delusion’ (as recommended by The Foundry). I love that this book just looks at the scientific facts, as explained by hundreds of experiments and research over the last 60-odd years, and explains how your body actually uses food – well worth a read. We’re giving it a go…. Steak for Thomas please!