Comments on: The Biggest Loser lures kids http://www.about-face.org/the-biggest-loser-lures-kids/ Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:05:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: justme http://www.about-face.org/the-biggest-loser-lures-kids/#comment-91349 justme Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:52:59 +0000 http://www.about-face.org/?p=13787#comment-91349 I've watched enough segments of The Biggest Loser to know that the coaches sincerely despise obese people. You can see it in the abusive, belittling approach they take toward the contestants. As if people with chronically low self-esteem from our fat-shaming culture really need to be brought down even further. So even if they claim that their approach will be different with the kids, that it will be about building them up, it will make no difference. Kids can tell when someone doesn't like them, even if that person is smiling and pretending to be concerned about them. The show's "coaches" are absolutely hateful human beings, and people should think long and hard before exposing children to such attitudes. I’ve watched enough segments of The Biggest Loser to know that the coaches sincerely despise obese people. You can see it in the abusive, belittling approach they take toward the contestants. As if people with chronically low self-esteem from our fat-shaming culture really need to be brought down even further.
So even if they claim that their approach will be different with the kids, that it will be about building them up, it will make no difference. Kids can tell when someone doesn’t like them, even if that person is smiling and pretending to be concerned about them. The show’s “coaches” are absolutely hateful human beings, and people should think long and hard before exposing children to such attitudes.

]]> By: Wendy W. http://www.about-face.org/the-biggest-loser-lures-kids/#comment-90554 Wendy W. Wed, 23 Jan 2013 20:41:18 +0000 http://www.about-face.org/?p=13787#comment-90554 At the heart of it, ALL reality television is about exploitation. The difference between adult and child participation is that the adult is better equipped to make an informed decision about their own exploitation. Putting kids on tv shows like this, or Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, or Jon & Kate + Eight, or whatever, is a Bad Idea. While parents may think the money they bank for their families being on those shows is awesome, the end result is damaging. Kids in school live in a fishbowl as it is, but at least it's a fairly small fishbowl. THIS is worse. Put them in a fishbowl, let them experience fat-shaming on a national scale, and see how many years of therapy they require later. Those parents would be so much better served by talking to their pediatrician and getting a referral to a nutritionist. At the heart of it, ALL reality television is about exploitation. The difference between adult and child participation is that the adult is better equipped to make an informed decision about their own exploitation. Putting kids on tv shows like this, or Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, or Jon & Kate + Eight, or whatever, is a Bad Idea. While parents may think the money they bank for their families being on those shows is awesome, the end result is damaging. Kids in school live in a fishbowl as it is, but at least it’s a fairly small fishbowl.

THIS is worse. Put them in a fishbowl, let them experience fat-shaming on a national scale, and see how many years of therapy they require later. Those parents would be so much better served by talking to their pediatrician and getting a referral to a nutritionist.

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