A Reflection of American Culture as Seen on the Biggest Loser
American culture has evolved over time; people are always jumping in on the latest craze they may see on television, or by reading in the tabloids. In particular, reality television shows have taken over the airways. There are a variety of reality television shows that air daily. Anything from people flipping houses, to living in the middle of nowhere in order to survive. One particular reality television show to reflect on is called, “The Biggest Loser”. The Biggest Loser follows a group of overweight people trying to lose weight in order to win money. This creates a stigma for Americans that you must be thin. The show is all about losing weight and being thin, and influences
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In the United States, 70.9 percent of men and 61.9 percent of women are overweight or obese, compared to 38 percent of men and 36.9 percent of women worldwide (Matthews). This fact explains why there are so many viewers watching The Biggest Loser. We are an overweight society. In fact, many foreigners have shared what they find most surprising in America. The one thing mentioned several times was how big America is. Lana Kolupaeva, a foreigner interviewed by The Business Insider states: “Food portion sizes which are ridiculous to my view. When we eat out with my husband or friends, we usually share. Not because we can't afford, but just because we do not need THAT much food. On the other hand I like the can-I-please-have-it-to-go thing for everything that left on the table, which is not so common in Europe, and especially in Eastern Europe, where I am from" (Stone) The Biggest Loser does teach the contestants how to eat better, and how to prepare healthy meals and snacks. In the teaching of food preparation aspect, The Biggest Loser succeeds in teaching what to and what not to eat. The show even illustrates how to pack snacks for the day and how to prepare meals in advance. What is not shown on the show is what the contestants actually are eating each day. Not only is food a part of the show, but so is
The documentary, titled Killer at Large: Why Obesity is America’s Greatest Threat, is a documentary shedding some light on the growing trend of America and its expanding waistlines. The documentary is geared to unmask the epidemic of obesity in our country. The film sheds some light on how our society is fixated with living and unhealthy lifestyle. The film goes on to inform you on how bad the situation really is, where two-thirds of the American population qualifies as obese or overweight. The documentary tries to uncover the root and causes of how this epidemic came to be and how it can be reversed.
What comes to your mind when you hear someone is overweight. In most american’s eyes, it is someone who anyone who is not a model. This creates a huge predicadment counting that America is known to be fat. In the past few decades, lifestyle has changed our habits, but we did not think about the consequences. If we eat more then we must be doing some kind of exercise to counteract what we put inside of us. In the article “America’s War on the Overnight” by Kate Dailey and Abby Ellin, they successfully persuade the reader to tackle obesity, we need to focus more on the subject of obesity and not attack the obese using the rhetorical triangle.
The irony is the fact that a majority of Americans are fat by national standards. Over 90 percent of women don't conform to the diet standards developed by insurance companies in the 60s. The media create a need to lose weight because they realize most Americans aren't statistically thin. By creating a standard of what is "normal" and then creating a need to achieve this normality, an industry of dependence is born - dependence upon diet pr...
...s of image, misleading, and popularity have influenced the thoughts of people who watch reality shows. To me reality shows such as jersey shore, the housewives series have influenced as to how i see people who have the money are stuck up and have no idea what is really important to the world. That alot of Americans were embarassed to have those people represent the United States. I am embarrased that we as Americans, wach reality shows of other people who are no diffrent from we are and give them so much attenion for simply being broadcasted for misleading me how easy life is for them than for those who try to make a difference or that just beacause how popular they are with the younger genreation. We as people should give the image of trying to make our world better place for he not so forunate bu ae living pretty well, but for those who are not fortunae at all.
In 1990, obese adults made up less than 15 percent of the population in most U.S. states. By 2010, 36 states had obesity rates of 25 percent or higher, and 12 of those had obesity rates of 30 percent or higher. (CDC) Today, nationwide, roughly two out of three U.S. ...
It is a sad one. People of all races and backgrounds are obese. In a recent survey done at Henry Ford College, 43 percent of students were overweight. Whether it is because they do not follow a healthy diet or because they inherited it from their parents. Being overweight is correlated with lack of exercise or physical activity and not watching what is on the plate.
Attention Getter: Did you know that 68.8 percent of adult Americans are considered to be either overweight or obese? That’s more than two thirds. And 35.7 percent of adults are considered to be obese. That’s more than one third.
Greenberg, Bradley. Eastin, Matthew. “Portrayals of overweight and obese individuals on commercial television” American Journal of Public Health 98.3 (Aug 2003): 1342-8. ProQuest. Web. 12/26/2013
When promoting plus sizes and television shows, are self-esteem or heart disease also being promoted? People throughout the world struggle with being anorexic, bulimic, overweight, or obese. TLC’s now popular reality TV show, My 600 Pound Life, displays the daily struggles of morbidly obese people. While encouraging women to love their body is appealing, there are many dangers in the fondness of obesity. Glorifying obesity can lead to being morbidly unhealthy, as demonstrated by Dominique Lanoise, a woman who died from morbid obesity.
I think many of reality shows today are giving impression that a women 's value is based on their appearance, and have influence them to go under knife, to look prettier. In the other way, reality shows may have also have upward effect, as the author mentioned. People can learn from people in reality tv, they can select them as role model , learn rom their experiences and be inspired by their life and get motivated to reach their
Many reality TV shows are driving young kids to be driven by money and fame. Our reality television makes us seem ignorant to other countries. Young viewers of these reality TV shows do not realize that most of the shows are often scripted and are not “real”. Although the programming of reality TV can be highly entertaining, it is important to be aware of the messages, and values that these shows often portray. Since reality TV has such a strong foothold in American pop culture, it is likely not going anywhere or changing its content any time soon.
Reality Television has changed television in a way that no one could have imagined. Being the one of the most talked about genre in history, it is seen by millions of viewers. It has more ratings than any other kind of show (Breyer 16). From its start, there have been many Reality Television shows. Shows like The Real World, Survivor, Big Brother, and Jersey Shore. All of these give off a negative portrayal of reality. While Americans watch these shows, it seems that the show is real life, but in reality, no pun intended, before the show is even filmed, it’s written, edited, and produced (Breyer 21). Writers humiliate and degrade people just for the plot of the show, making their private lives public (Breyer 16).
Here we have to think, how we can make use of technology in the prevention and treatment of obesity and other related problems Recently it seen that many reality shows are used as therapy for obese people. In the article, “Reality TV as therapy,” The author discusses the therapeutic potential of reality shows used for therapy. For example, the author explains how Dr. Phil's show, the biggest loser, and the Celebrity rehabilitation shows used for th...
That’s 34.9 percent or 78.6 million people. There are so many health risks of being obesity and the estimated annual medical cost of being obese in the U.S. is 147 billion dollars in 2008. People who are obese on average were 1,429 dollars higher than people who were not. “Non-Hispanic blacks have the highest age adjusted reats of obesity at 47.8 percent followed by Hispanic 42.5 percent, non-Hispanic whites at 32.6 percent, and non-Hispanic Asians at 10.8 percent.” “Obesity is higher among middle age adults, 40-59 year olds at 39.5 percent than among younger adults, age 20-39 at 30.3 percent, or adults over 60 or above at 35.4 percent.” Other things like if the non-Hispanic black and Mexican American men have higher incomes are more likely to be obese then those of lower income. Higher income women are less likely to be obese then low income women. When it comes to education among men there are not any relationship between being obese and not. When women have college degrees they are less likely to be obese compared to the women who are less
The television program the Biggest Loser shows people changing their lives physically and emotionally through diet and exercise. People watching the show could relate to these people, which could give them inspiration and motivation to make changes of their own.