Newest Biggest Loser winner is 105 lbs.

Stasi

I was watching The Today Show this morning and I saw an interview with the newest Biggest Loser, Rachel Frederickson. She went from about 260 pounds, down to 105 pounds (~60% loss) in around 7.5 months, winning the $250,000 prize offered on the show. I couldn't help but think she looked too thin and slightly emaciated in the face when she was being interviewed. Did any of you see her, or watch the show? They say she's 5'4", which is a little short, but 105 is pretty thin...Thoughts?

Pictures:

Before:

Intermediate:

 

After:

 

 

Stasi

@Bobkat22 - This is the conculsion I came too after a little bit as well. My disappointment is directed more towards the show and it's expectations. Are these people losing weight too fast? Is it sustainable? I know they are coached about nutrition and also get Jillian Micheals own blend of physiatric treatment, but are they encouraged to be healthy and not just skinny? I don't watch enough to know the answer to this...

As for Rachel Fredrickson, that poor girl is damned if you do, damed if you don't (as are a lot of women in our society when it comes to weight), I agree with you BobKat, she's worked really hard only to be faced with a barage of judgement and critisim. I wouldn't mind her maybe putting on another 10 lbs. though

MarisaKathleen

Truthfully I think she looks better in the intermediate picture.  I just don't think being THAT skinny is attractive on her.  And it makes her look old.

Holly_1007

I mean, how much did she win? 250k right? I'd skip a few meals for that amount of money.

thebanich

105 pounds is too thin for 5'4". My mom is 5' even and weighs that much and sometimes I think she looks a little on the "too thin" side.

Not judging this particular person, just what I think in general.

Unknown

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Stasi

Maybe, but going off of BMI Index (which I know isn't the end all be all for figuring if someone is healthy) she is underweight. Three more pounds and meets BMI Index criteria for anorexia. I just think it's worth examining, because she's walking a close line of being healthy, and being unhealthy.

tinyhumantoe

cheeseandrice said:

I mean, how much did she win? 250k right? I'd skip a few meals for that amount of money.

This summarizes pretty well why I think BL is a sham.

Really?  I think it has a very positive impact on numerous peoples' lives each season. 

And if not for that show, there wouldn't be small groups of people (work places, gyms, families, etc) doing 'biggest loser' competitions. 

Also, I think the show stresses health.  And teaches them valuable information.  I'm in the WAY more positive than negative camp on this one.

thebanich

LoisLayn23 said:

Banich4eva said:

105 pounds is too thin for 5'4". My mom is 5' even and weighs that much and sometimes I think she looks a little on the "too thin" side.

Not judging this particular person, just what I think in general.

This is interesting, because at 120 and 4'11", I'm still considered in the overweight category for BMI. It says my normal weight should be 105.

It is probably because my mom tends to lose weight in her face before anywhere else. And she is obsessed with losing a few pounds. So I may worry too much.

People tend to tell me that I look too thin when I hit my "normal" weight.

 I still think 105 lbs at 5'4" is too thin. I'm 5'5" and at 110 I start to look a little skeletal. Early pregnancy has shown me that.

hmp1

I just looked at the BMI chart, have never really looked at it before for myself. I am normal now but in my late 20's, at the time of my wedding, I was in the underweight category. 5'9 and 125lb. I was not trying to lose weight. Some was from stress but mostly just my size at the time. People gave me more compliments at that weight than any other time (except my sister and Dad that flat told me I was too skinny).

BillyMollyEmmy

LoisLayn23 said:

Banich4eva said:

105 pounds is too thin for 5'4". My mom is 5' even and weighs that much and sometimes I think she looks a little on the "too thin" side.

Not judging this particular person, just what I think in general.

This is interesting, because at 120 and 4'11", I'm still considered in the overweight category for BMI. It says my normal weight should be 105.

I think my thigh weighs 105 pounds hah

AKB090609

I am 5'5" and weigh 112 today. I have as a healthy adult ranged from 103-135, depending on the type of exercise I'm participating in at the time. I don't think that weight alone should be used to determine if someone is 'healthy'.

As far as the show goes, I don't watch nor will I. HEALTH IS NOT A GAME YOU CAN WIN, a person getting kicked off a show because they didn't lose enough of their body weight in a week pisses me off. There was a show last year where the trainer followed each participant for a year as they strived for health, that show I liked. It gave a realistic and IMO, a responsible look at weight loss and achieving health.

willy_gert

If she was still working out, she should be registering in the overweight category for BMI.  That is the biggest issue with BMI charts is that they do not account for muscle.  So, I agree with others that she is probably too thin, but I also agree that she is more than likely damned if she does damned if she doesn't.  Losing weight is hard, especially if you are doing it the right way.  5 lbs a week is more than likely too much.  4 lbs a week is acceptable for a week or two, maybe up to 4 weeks, but any more than that, really is unhealthy.

Bookelly

willy_gert said:

If she was still working out, she should be registering in the overweight category for BMI.

Where on earth did you get this idea? Many people who work out and/or have a muscular physique are still in what's considered a healthy weight range based on BMI. While it's true that BMI doesn't account for muscle vs. fat, it's mostly athletes whose weight skews the tables, not your average Joe. It has its flaws, and it should never be considered the only measure of health, but it's useful as a quick screening tool.

willy_gert

Bookelly said:

willy_gert said:

If she was still working out, she should be registering in the overweight category for BMI.

Where on earth did you get this idea? Many people who work out and/or have a muscular physique are still in what's considered a healthy weight range based on BMI. While it's true that BMI doesn't account for muscle vs. fat, it's mostly athletes whose weight skews the tables, not your average Joe. It has its flaws, and it should never be considered the only measure of health, but it's useful as a quick screening tool.

I got this idea from my education.  I would wager a guess that many non athletes that are working out in the manner that Biggest Loser tells them too would fall into that category.  My statement still stands, that she should not be registering so low if she is still working out like she was on biggest loser and not doing something bad for her....  I can't say for sure, because I don't know her and I don't know exactly what she has been doing, but she definitely should not be registering underweight or anorexic.

tinyhumantoe

At some point people are just going to have to take responsibility for their own actions.

A tv show making people lose weight in an unhealthy way?  Nah, people are making decisions for themselves in their own lives.  I really, really wish people could learn to take responsibility for themselves.  CSI isn't encouraging me to murder people and wipe the prints.  Holmes on Homes isn't encouraging me to not wear safety glasses in the shop when I should be. 

And quite frankly, there are some people who are extremely overweight and it might be a healthier choice for them to lose weight quickly versus sticking to "textbook healthy ways" for a gradual weight loss.  What good is losing 1 pound a week to a 450lb man that dies at 398lbs from heart failure?  A more aggressive approach could have saved his life.

My doctor told me to get a huge portion of my weight off, and transition to a sustainable healthy lifestyle.  He said it was less likely that I would stick to losing .5-1lb/wk for over a year to get down, but I could hammer it out for a few months and then spend the rest of the year maintaining.  There are so many factors to determining what will work best for one person vs another - personality, resources, weight, health complications, etc. 

Some people do unhealthy shit to lose weight without consulting a doctor.  It's not the Biggest Loser's fault or responsibility. 

Bookelly

willy_gert said:

Bookelly said:

willy_gert said:

If she was still working out, she should be registering in the overweight category for BMI.

Where on earth did you get this idea? Many people who work out and/or have a muscular physique are still in what's considered a healthy weight range based on BMI. While it's true that BMI doesn't account for muscle vs. fat, it's mostly athletes whose weight skews the tables, not your average Joe. It has its flaws, and it should never be considered the only measure of health, but it's useful as a quick screening tool.

I got this idea from my education.  I would wager a guess that many non athletes that are working out in the manner that Biggest Loser tells them too would fall into that category.  My statement still stands, that she should not be registering so low if she is still working out like she was on biggest loser and not doing something bad for her....  I can't say for sure, because I don't know her and I don't know exactly what she has been doing, but she definitely should not be registering underweight or anorexic.

Your statement was that she'd be overweight, not that she'd be a normal weight. Most people who are working out that much while practicing somewhat restrictive eating habits will not fall into the overweight category.

tinyhumantoe

cheeseandrice said:

THT, I agree.

I think the issue here is that some people don't see the BL weight losses as unhealthy.

I think we're on the same page, but I feel like I need to point out that I do not see BL weight losses as unhealthy.  For obese individuals, monitored by trainers and a medical team, following a strategic plan, with intrinsic and extrinsic motivators - it is the healthier situation, adding years to their lives.

If people do what they perceive is being done on BL - i.e. a barely overweight woman exercising 6 hours a day unsupervised, without a trainer, plan, medical observation, and not eating enough...... well, not BL's fault.  Sounds like a problem of inaccurate perception and lack of health knowledge.

MeatballEsq

@tinyhumantoe Not gonna lie, Breaking Bad makes DH and I want to cook meth. BL just makes me want to eat ice cream.

mrsbhk22

Interesting article from a previous contestant. Apparently, the weigh ins aren't really weekly. https://mobile.news.com.au/entertainment/former-biggest-loser-contestant-andrew-cosi-costello-reveals-the-truth-about-the-weight-loss-show/story-e6frfmq9-1226820498768?fb_action_ids=666898653352237&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=[583792305022562]&action_type_map=["og.likes"]&action_ref_map=[]