The Biggest Loser – Season 15
“The Biggest Loser” is a show where nobody wins — because the shocking truth is many contestants pack the pounds back on after the competition ends!
The National ENQUIRER can reveal that at least two victors and many contestants on the weight-loss series end up right back where they started — trapped with life-threatening obesity!
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The Biggest Loser
Now a medical study involving “Biggest Loser” contestants reveals participants were doomed to get fat again — because the bodies of extreme dieters stubbornly insist on regaining weight! Ali Vincent, the first female winner of the show, dropped 112 pounds as she went from 234 pounds to a slim 122. That was eight years ago in season five!
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The Biggest Loser
But now the 5'5" gal confesses taht she’s packed the pounds back on — and is nearly back to her old weight. Ali admits she became so “ashamed” that “I really started hiding.” “I was embarrassed,” she says. “It was probably my lowest point. I was the first female to win. Like, ‘I’m Ali Vincent. I’m supposed to be strong!’”
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biggest loser scandal 4
And Ali’s not the only winner to regain her girth. Danny Cahill was the champion on the show's eighth season . He started the show weighing 430 pounds, and lost an amazing 239 pounds over seven months — the biggest loss in program history! “I’ve got my life back,” declared triumphant Danny.
The Biggest Loser – Season 8
But Danny, 46, admits he’s gained 100 pounds over the last six years and now tips the scales at 295 — a considerable amount of bulk for a 5-foot-11 man. Dr. Kevin Hall, a metabolism expert and reality TV fan, tracked Danny and other contestants for six years to measure what happens after weight is lost through intensive dieting and exercise. He found 13 out of the 14 subjects had huge weight gains. Four of them now weigh MORE than they did before the show!
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The Biggest Loser
Dina Mercado, 35, weighed 248 before the show and 173.5 at the finale. Now she’s at 205.9. Her slower metabolism burns 437.9 fewer calories per day than a typical woman her size, which makes it harder for her to lose weight. Researchers have known that dieters burn food at a slower rate than they did when they were fat. “The Biggest Loser” contestants’ metabolism performed the same way.
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The Biggest Loser – Season 2
But Dr. Hall was shocked to find the contestants’ metabolisms did not recover over time. In fact, they slowed even more — leading to increased weight gain. “It is frightening and amazing,” said Dr. Hall about his findings. “I am just blown away!"
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The Biggest Loser – Season 1
"The key point is that you can be on TV, you can lose enormous amounts of weight, you can go on for six years, but you can’t get away from a basic biological reality,” said Dr. Michael Schwartz, an obesity and diabetes expert at the University of Washington who was not involved in the study. “As long as you are below your initial weight, your body is going to try to get you back.”
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The Biggest Loser
The research was devastating to Sean Algaier, 36 — a pastor from Charlotte, N.C., who slimmed down from 444 to 289 pounds as a contestant on the show. Today, he tips the scales at 450 pounds! “It’s kind of like hearing you have a life sentence,” he said.
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The Biggest Loser – Season 5
Ali hid from loved ones after gaining weight. “We don’t want to be around them so they don’t have to say anything,” she says. “We retreat.” But the new findings help explain why she kept gaining, even after becoming a gym junkie and tossing all the junk food at home into the trash. She called the new research “priceless,” and added that she’s determined to lose weight again — but isn’t predicting any particular number. “I want to love myself at any size," said Ali, "and throughout the sizes!"
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