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Exercise led to better health outcomes among TV's 'The Biggest Loser' contestants
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PHILADELPHIA — Participants in the NBC reality program “The Biggest Loser,” who underwent an exercise-centric weight loss program dramatically improved their health, according to data presented here at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 21st Annual Scientific and Clinical Congress Meeting.
The study assessed metabolic and BP response to intense exercise and moderate caloric restriction in morbidly obese contestants on the TV show (17 male, 18 female, aged 40±14 years, 28 white, 4 black, 3 Latino, who weighed 143±30kg). The baseline BMI was 46±6 kg/m², with 5.6±0.8% HbA1c.
Robert Huizenga, MD, associate clinical professor of medicine at UCLA and medical advisor for NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” told Endocrine Today that medications and surgery aren’t necessary if a rigorous exercise program is used in morbidly obese patients.
Huizenga suggested that other physicians should introduce morbidly obese patients to more intense methods of weight loss rather than bariatric surgery as a first line of treatment to improve prediabetes, type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
“It’s just very sad to me that in this country we go to the second, third, and fourth options initially and we seem to leave out the number one option; that’s odd to me, but that’s what happens in this country,” Huizenga told Endocrine Today.
He and colleagues analyzed health data from participants on the program’s seasons 11, 12 and 13 between May 2011 and March 2012.
“Within a week or two, [hypertension vanishes in] 70% to 80% of our patients,” Huizenga said at a press conference.
“I think that it’s time that we rethink diabetes. There’s another way, if the country would wake up and realize that we have to allocate our resources in such a way that we can get these people back to normal…because right now they don’t know they can do it,” Huizenga said.
The exercise-centric program included 4 hours of daily exercise (1 hour intense resistance, 1 hour intense aerobic, 2 hours moderate aerobic activity). The caloric intake was restricted to 70% estimated resting daily energy expenditure.
Body fat decreased from 48.9 to 30.4 by week 24 (P<.0001), and data showed significant improvement in BP by week 5, which continued to remain stable.
For more information:
- Huizenga R. Abstract #1330. Presented at: the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 21st Annual Scientific and Clinical Congress Meeting; May 23-27, 2012; Philadelphia.
Disclosure: Dr. Huizenga reports no relevant financial disclosures.
Perspective
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Clifford Rosen, MD
It’s actually quite interesting, and I think it’s got potential. There must be some ascertainment by us that people who are getting into the study are doing so well, have certain characteristics that allow them to want to go on TV and sign up to be on TV, and then to continue.
We have to think about this as a small subset, and maybe a select group of individuals. But the data are pretty compelling. They’re losing weight and they’re doing well, and their bones are actually better, which is much different than gastric bypass where you are losing bone.
I think it’d be interesting to understand what the mechanisms are. You have to understand the factors involved. I’m not sure I understand. Everybody talks about it – you lose weight because you exercise. What does that mean? Is it a sympathetic tone increasing? Is it brown fat? Are we converting white fat to brown fat so they can metabolize fat better, or differently? Those are questions that people have to answer. It’s really interesting, and it’s really important. It’s just an example of the fact that exercise in extreme obesity can still have a positive effect.
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