Bite Back with Abbey Sharp

The Biggest Loser Exposed: Rapid Weight Regain, EDs, Broken Bodies & More with Fit for TV Director Skye Borgman

Episode Summary

In today’s episode of Bite Back with Abbey Sharp, I’m joined by award-winning filmmaker Skye Borgman to talk about her new Netflix docuseries Fit for TV, which pulls back the curtain on the cultural phenomenon of The Biggest Loser. We revisit the toxic 2000s era of primetime weight-loss TV — from public weigh-ins and extreme exercise to the lasting shame, disordered eating, and metabolic damage contestants carried with them. Beyond the spectacle, this conversation explores what these shows reveal about our collective fears, fantasies, and fraught relationship with our bodies.

Episode Notes

Here’s a run down of what we discussed in today’s episode:

• Introduction
• The Biggest Loser and the Ethics of Extreme Weight Loss
• Shocking Harms: Contestants Speak Out on Lasting Health Harms
• Scapegoats and Responsibility: Who Held the Power
• Fatphobia and Humiliation As Entertainment
• Life After the Show: Shame, Visibility, & Identity
• Have We Evolved Since 2004—or Just Rebranded Fatphobia?
• The Ozempic Era: Is Weight Loss Entertainment Dead?
• Body Transformations, Virality, and the Cost of Visibility
• Entertainment vs. True Health: Can They Coexist?
• The Lasting Fallout: Injuries, Metabolic Damage, and Weight Regain
• Why Unsustainable Weight Loss Isn’t Compatible with Life
• Learning from The Biggest Loser’s Mistakes
   

Check in with today’s amazing guest: Skye Borgman

• Website: skyeborgman.com
• Instagram: @skyeborgman
   

Disclaimer: The content in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is never a substitute for medical advice. If you’re struggling with with your mental or physical health, please work one on one with a health care provider.

If you have heard yourself in our discussion today, and are looking for support, contact the free NEDIC helpline at 1-866-NEDIC-20 or go to eatingdisorderhope.com.