Yancy quoted in CBS News on “The Biggest Loser” controversy

William Yancy, MD, MHS

William Yancy, MD, MHS

In an interview with CBS News Dr. William Yancy spoke about the reality television show, “The Biggest Loser”, the problem that the series perpetuates the idea that all you need to do to lose weight is diet and exercise. Yancy discusses how it is much more complicated than that to keep the weight off for the long term.

…it’s a lifelong challenge and we’ve struggled really hard to make it be seen like diabetes, that it [obesity] needs to be treated like a chronic illness,” said Yancy in this interview.

The story was prompted after a new publication by Fothergill et al that appeared in the journal Obesity: “Persistent metabolic adaptation 6 years after ‘The Biggest Loser’ competition.” This research tells of 14 participants on the show and the problem of sustainable results.

Dr. Yancy is a faculty member of the Duke Division of General Internal Medicine and the Director of the Duke Diet and Fitness Center. Read more about Dr. Yancy in our GIM blog.

 

 

 

 

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