[Less of Lena]

Did you see it? What do you think?

For those who didn't see it, don't read any further, because I'm going to recap it.


<<Spoiler Alert -- details ahead>>
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In essence, they got 5 overweight/obese people to do a challenge. Here's the set-up: Primetime made them put on skimpy bikinis and get photographed by a professional photographer. The photos were not shown but they did show the process, with the bodies being pixelated.

The challenge is this. If the contestants lose 15 pounds in the next 2 months (8 weeks), the pictures will be destroyed. If they fail to lose 15 pounds, the pictures will be broadcast on national TV.

Talk about pressure!

One woman said "I'll do anything it takes to lose the 15 -- they will NOT show my pictures!"

My fear is exactly that. These folks will do whatever it takes to avoid the humiliation of having their pictures broadcast. They won't learn any healthy habits. They may take unhealthy risks. They are under extreme stress for something they truly can not control. They can not control how fast their bodies release the pounds, no matter how stringently they adhere to "diets" (whatever those diets may be).

I think this is unhealthy and irresponsible on the part of ABC. And it angers me that overweight folks should be made to feel such pressure. I know they all volunteered for this challenge, but still, society has made us so desperate...

It's just not right.

((climbs off her soapbox))

I hope they do ok. The results of the challenge haven't been shown yet.

[da fat n da furious]

egads,,,truly alot of peoples nightmare. Id raither be naked...
gonna have to go watch it now....
fingers crossed they lose the weight...I shudder to think of the horror..

[Misti in Seattle]

Hmmmmm I don't usually watch it but I just checked and it comes on at 10. Perhaps I will check it out. But I agree with you Lena... not just about this but about ALL the shows that encourage people to do stupid and dangerous things... just so the producers can make a buck.

[kmqjones]

Before we get all excited, this was an experiment in human behavior. It appeared to me that no one was unhealthy and they all exercised. 15 lbs in 2 months isn't an unhealthy goal, especially if they did the 2 lbs a week pattern.

[Less of Lena]

Update:

When they began showing the results, Jay Shadler (the Primetime reporter doing the story) recapped what the challenge was. He emphasized that the participants were literally just thrown into the contest with NO GUIDANCE. No guidance on diet. No guidance on exercise.

That's just wrong.

<<Spoiler Alert -- details ahead>>
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Final Results: All but 1 of the participants lost at least 15 pounds in 60 days. One woman lost 26 pounds (and she was one of the smaller ones to begin with -- I'm really wondering what she did to lose that fast). The folks who lost 15+ all got their "before" pictures back in sealed envelopes to do with whatever they wish (many ripped them to confetti and tossed 'em
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The one woman who lost only (*ONLY*) 13 pounds was ready to accept her fate and allow her before pics to be broadcast. To their credit, ABC gave her the pictures in her sealed envelope.

The gist of the contest: Just the real threat of potential humiliation was enough to motivate them to lose.

I wonder where those folks will be, weight-wise, 60 days from now?

((sigh))

[need2changenow]

I agree with you Lena. Although this "test" was more about the human behavior, who knows to what extremes these people went to in order to lose the necessary weight.

I bet that most gain the majority back within 2 months. There is no more "threat" of being exposed on TV and therefore, like someone said, the threat isn't real.

Their eating habits may have changed for the 2 months, but I bet they will regress back to their old ways again. Sad, but true.

It was a very interesting story, especially how the strangers found each other in NYC.

[goy]

did not see this show..