My "The Biggest Loser" Finale Assessment
I haven't watched the entire Season this year, but I watched the last 4 Episodes including the finale. As a Personal Trainer, the show is one of the most empowering experiences to continue my career path. I will have to say, there are 2 things I want to see (or know is in the rules). 1) You MUST lose the weight naturally, and in the complete guise of health. 2) If you win and failed to meet factor #1, you forfeit the earnings and subsequent endorsements.
I didn't mind the fact that a few of the contestants were slightly thinner than I feel they should have, this is a competition about weight loss and money and prestige is at stake. There are some things that I observed last night that concerned me as a professional.......
1) Facial Wrinkles at 24. I watched her during Makeover Week, and the doctor told her she was at 19% bodyfat. That is dead on for a female at her age. If you remember a few seasons back, there was a contestant named Sam. Remember he got taken off the show because he reached his goal. When I saw Rachel and I seen her with facial wrinkles (she didn't have any during MW) it made me worry. I have 58 year old clients that have lost a high amounts of weight and have no wrinkles on their face
2) Raspy Voice...... and you normally don't have one. Sure, you can have a raspy voice and not have an issue with an eating disorder, but when combined with her very thin appearance and the fact she is a voice-over actor and didn't sound that way concerns me as a fitness professional.
I can't go to full extent to say she has an eating disorder but there are signs of concern as a professional. She may have done it solely for the purpose to win. However, her frail state is a cause of concern and if her state is a result of an eating disorder, she shouldn't be able to win and profit from the victory of the contest.
I am not saying any woman that weighs 105 lbs has an eating disorder, but going by the science, she has no business at that weight. Her long term outlook will not be good at that weight. If she has a disorder, I hope she gets the help she needs to get to a healthy weight (ironic).
Julien Stoutt, EXHP; NESTA CPFT; NASM CPT, CES, FNS, WLS
