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Medicine and Health Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Mental and Social Health

Nova Southeastern University

The Qualitative Report

Marriage and Family Therapy

Publication Year

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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Life During The Biggest Loser: Experiences And Perspectives Of Non-Contestant Romantic Partners, Darren D. Moore, Clinton Cooper, Kai Zwierstra, Toiya Williams Apr 2018

Life During The Biggest Loser: Experiences And Perspectives Of Non-Contestant Romantic Partners, Darren D. Moore, Clinton Cooper, Kai Zwierstra, Toiya Williams

The Qualitative Report

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 …


Life After Nbc’S “The Biggest Loser”: The Experiences And Perspectives Of Former Reality Tv Contestants, Darren D. Moore, Clinton Cooper, Toiya Williams, Kai Zwierstra Mar 2017

Life After Nbc’S “The Biggest Loser”: The Experiences And Perspectives Of Former Reality Tv Contestants, Darren D. Moore, Clinton Cooper, Toiya Williams, Kai Zwierstra

The Qualitative Report

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 …