ВЖИВАННЯ ЛЕКСИЧНИХ СТИЛІСТИЧНИХ ЗАСОБІВ ВИРАЖЕННЯ ЗДОРОВОГО СПОСОБУ ЖИТТЯ НА МАТЕРІАЛІ АМЕРИКАНСЬКОГО РЕАЛІТІ-ШОУ THE BIGGEST LOSER

This article experiments with some of the insights provided by the work of Deleuze and Guattari as a move towards deterritorializing fat bodies. This is necessary because in contemporary Western society the fat [female] body is positioned and frequently experienced as lacking in social, cultural and political value and as being in need of surveillance and control, not least by the neo-liberal ‘self’. This article is a response to Deleuze and Guattari's plea to ‘think differently’, in this case about fat and weight loss. The article eschews the paradigmatic form of the traditional academic research paper, adopting a semi autoethnographic approach to present an analysis of my engagement with the Biggest Loser (diet) Club. Thinking through rather than about the body it focuses on embodied experiences of fat and the on-going process of cutting that body down to ‘normal’ size. By utilising two central concepts in Deleuzoguattarian thought – ‘becoming’ and the ‘body – without – organs’ (BwO) - I seek to demonstrate the embodied, theoretical and ethical potential of utilising Deleuze and Guattari's work to explore fat and weight loss and how this might productively serve to deterritorialize contemporary discourses which stigmatise fat bodies.

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Weighing in on NBC's The Biggest Loser: Governmentality and Self-Concept on the Scale

Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport ◽

10.5641/027013612804582579 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 83 (4) ◽

pp. 579-586

Author(s):

Tucker Readdy ◽

Vicki Ebbeck

Keyword(s):

Self Concept ◽

The Biggest Loser

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Who Is the Biggest Loser? Fat News Coverage Is a Barrier to Healthy Lifestyle Promotion

Health Marketing Quarterly ◽

10.1080/07359683.2015.1093881 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 32 (4) ◽

pp. 330-349 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Josephine Previte ◽

Lauren Gurrieri

Keyword(s):

Healthy Lifestyle ◽

News Coverage ◽

Healthy Lifestyle Promotion ◽

The Biggest Loser

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Life During The Biggest Loser: Experiences and Perspectives of Non-Contestant Romantic Partners

The Qualitative Report ◽

10.46743/2160-3715/2018.3221 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Darren Moore ◽

Clinton Cooper ◽

Kai Zwierstra ◽

Toiya Williams

Keyword(s):

Weight Loss ◽

Reality Television ◽

Romantic Partners ◽

Marriage And Family Therapists ◽

Qualitative Description ◽

Couple Relationships ◽

Family Therapists ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Marriage And Family ◽

The Biggest Loser

For this study, authors engaged in 9 semi-structured interviews with romantic partners of contestants who were involved with a weight loss intervention (The Biggest Loser), to gain insight into the phenomenon of weight loss within the context of couple relationships and reality television. Utilizing Basic Qualitative Description influenced by aspects of phenomenology, the authors explored the role of weight loss and the role that the specific intervention utilized, has played within the couple relationship. Building upon previous research (Moore, Cooper, Williams, & Zwierstra, 2017a) authors added the voice of the non-contestant partners to the discussion and explored experiences of weight loss and perceptions regarding the utilization of Marriage and Family Therapists during the weight loss process. The major themes that emerged were (1) Behind the Scenes: The sacrifices we make, (2) After the Show Wraps: Re-entry and the Transition Home, and (3) Perceptions of MFT: Addressing couple relationships. Implications for Marriage and Family Therapists as well as other professionals involved in working with couples during weight loss are discussed as well as future directions in research.

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Life After NBC’s “The Biggest Loser”: The Experiences and Perspectives of Former Reality TV Contestants

The Qualitative Report ◽

10.46743/2160-3715/2017.2658 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Darren Moore ◽

Clinton Cooper ◽

Toiya Williams ◽

Kai Zwierstra

Keyword(s):

Weight Loss ◽

Well Being ◽

Reality Tv ◽

Qualitative Description ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Relational Dynamics ◽

Marriage And Family ◽

Rich Description ◽

The Biggest Loser ◽

Whiplash Effect

Utilizing Qualitative Description influenced by aspects of phenomenology, we conducted fifteen open-ended, semi-structured interviews with former contestants of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.” The purpose of the study was to explore experiences of significant weight loss. We focused on challenges, emotional well-being, and relational dynamics of contestants transitioning through their weight loss journeys, which included what happened after the show was completed. Further, we analyzed perspectives regarding the utility of Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) in working with this population. In the study, three themes emerged which included: (1) Living at the ranch: It’s reality TV, not reality; (2) After the confetti falls: Post-Traumatic Reality TV Syndrome and The Whiplash Effect; and (3) Therapeutic treatment: Much needed but nowhere to be found. The study includes a rich description of the data, as well as a discussion of clinical implications.

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Online Health Communities and Health Literacy

User-Driven Healthcare ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-2770-3.ch010 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 180-196 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Erin Willis ◽

Ye Wang ◽

Shelly Rodgers

Keyword(s):

Weight Loss ◽

Content Analysis ◽

Health Literacy ◽

The Other ◽

Online Health Communities ◽

The Third ◽

Health Communities ◽

The Biggest Loser ◽

Practical Implications

The purpose of the chapter is to define health literacy and e-health literacy in the context of online health communities (OHCs). The chapter has three sections. The first section defines and discusses features of OHCs. The second section defines health literacy and e-health literacy, including domains of health literacy, which, as the authors argue, is necessary for a greater understanding of health literacy and OHCs. The third section applies the health literacy domains using The Biggest Loser League weight-loss OHC as a case study. A content analysis of posts was conducted between September 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009. Domains of health literacy were coded. Results show that functional literacy and interactive literacy were present in the OHC discussions to a greater degree than any of the other health literacy domains examined. Results are discussed in light of health literacy and e-health literacy, and practical implications of OHCs are explored.

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