Dieting in “The Biggest Loser”

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All month, we’ve been talking about how food is having its moment on the screen, from TV shows set in restaurants to Netflix specials featuring the world’s top chefs. We close out our Food on the Screen series with a look at the NBC reality TV show “The Biggest Loser.” Some shocking findings from the New York Times revealed that most of the contestants on Season 8 regained much, if not all, the weight they lost. Some are even heavier now than they were at the start of the season.

 

To hear why dieting is a zero sum game, we called neuroscientist Sandra Aamodt. Her new book is Why Diets Make Us Fat. While we’re on the subject, download This American Life’s “Tell Me I’m Fat” episode if you haven’t already. What you hear might shock you...

Music: "Cool, Not Cold" by Shawn Lee