A recent study published in the journal Obesityhas been generating a lot of buzz. It looked at contestants on a season of the TV show "The Biggest Loser" and found some startling results.
The controversial show encourages contestants to lose as much weight as possible over the course of the season. And the study found that participants’ metabolism changed drastically afterwards…making it so that their bodies actually fought to regain the weight.
Ali Vincent, who used to live in Arizona, won season five in 2008. She lost 112 pounds and kept the weight off for about six years. She remained really fit and completed an Iron Man, but over the last couple of years has gained the weight back.
We talked to Vincent about how this experience created a lot of shame and made her depression much worse.
And to help us understand some of the science behind weight gain and "The Biggest Loser" study, I spoke with Pam Swan, a professor of exercise and wellness at ASU who does a lot of research on metabolism. She said that a huge percentage of people who lose a mass quantity of weight will gain it back.
