CRN Interview

I got up early this morning, poured myself a cup of tea, and sat by the phone waiting to talk to Mike and Paul on the What’s Cooking Show on CRN digital talk radio. When I tuned in, an interview with chef Rocco DiSpirito was underway. He was scheduled to be the “challenge” on The Biggest Loser: Couples show tonight. The hosts asked about the food he prepared for the contestants on the show. He explained that the trainer had given him a big challenge too; he had to cook with zero fat and zero salt to insure maximum weight loss for the participants who were due for a weigh-in. Much to my surprise, he ended his interview with a warning about sugar. He said everyone tries to avoid fat, but they don’t realize that sugar is a problem. “If you watch out for sugar and drink a little less, you should be OK,” he said. Then he even added a comment about how “sugar provokes insulin, and insulin is the fat-storage hormone.” What a perfect lead-in for me!

I’m not a fan of The Biggest Loser, as I’ve said before. The show gives the impression that six hours of extreme exercise per day is necessary for weight loss. When the contestants are fed a low-calorie, low-fat diet, with the majority of the calories from carbs, weight loss is going to be unnecessarily difficult. The truth is, if you cut out the sugar and starch and add a healthful amount of good, natural fat, you can skip the agony, the hunger, and the drama. Low carb makes for a great life, but it would be lousy TV: much too easy.

©2008, Judy Barnes Baker