Unpacking the legacy of The Biggest Loser

Hi! On today’s show, Netflix just dropped a three-part documentary about one of the most successful reality TV shows of our time: The Biggest Loser. We’ve known for a while that the methods used on this show were incredibly damaging, both physically and psychologically, but this doco has brought this conversation back into the mainstream at a very interesting time in our culture… Your hosts are Zara McDonald (@zamcdonald) and Michelle Andrews (@michelleandrews1). Big thanks to Elite Eleven’s Omni collection for making this episode of Shameless possible. Ultra-soft, ultra-elevated loungewear – shop it now online, in-store or on the app. On today’s show, Gil recommended WWE: UnReal on Netflix. Sources: The Biggest Loser by Maintenance Phase Supersize Me by Maintenance Phase The Biggest Loser P1 and P2 by Fad Camp What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon ‘You Just Need To Lose Weight’ by Aubrey Gordon Fat Is Not A Bad Word by Hunter Ashleigh Shackelford Shameless Podcast is produced by Annabelle Lee and Eilish Gilligan, executive-produced by Lucy Hunt and audio-edited by Eilish Gilligan. Our social media team consists of Naima Fatema, Emily Li and Eilish Gilligan, and our partnerships manager is Cindy Luu. Want to support our show? Clicking ‘follow’ on Apple and Spotify is the best way to do that, and we're super grateful to anyone who leaves a five-star review while they're at it. Also! An old-fashioned 'Tell a Friend In Real Life' is equally appreciated. Want more? We've got more… Subscribe to our newsletter Smart, Dumb Stuff: https://tinyurl.com/4yasjphn Follow us on Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/2mf557ux Aaaand we’re on TikTok: https://tinyurl.com/2hchchrp Everything else your heart could ever desire is here: https://linktr.ee/shamelesspodcast Thanks for listening! We’re huge fans of yours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices