When it comes to losing weight or keeping fit, Chris Duffield believes celebrities and the mass media are guilty of exploitation, not inspiration
Research suggests that one way to accomplish a goal is to “model” someone who has achieved what you desire. Whether consciously or not, we all at times compare ourselves to role models, icons or even a friend whom we admire.
Health and fitness magazines promote fashionable diets that seem to be given coverage only if they have been used and approved by a famous celebrity. One of the most popular is the Atkins diet, used and endorsed by celebrities such as Geri Halliwell and Jennifer Aniston. There is much controversy surrounding the Atkins diet, which is high in protein and fat, and classed as ketogenic (very low in carbohydrates). In Britain, three million people are believed to be following the Atkins diet.
But carbohydrate is not responsible for fat gain: calories are. The only reason that low carbohydrate diets result in significant weight loss is due to the large reduction in calories via almost total elimination of carbohydrates.
More important than overall weight loss, is losing fat, not the lean tissue (muscle) and water weight that is a direct result of adherence to the Atkins diet.
For a sedentary person to follow the Atkins diet can be unhealthy; but for a person involved in regular high intensity exercise, it becomes increasingly dangerous. This is because the fuel used within the body for muscular contraction is glycogen (carbohydrate) so a diet low in carbohydrate is fundamentally unsuitable for intensive training.
Genuine fat loss occurs as a result of a slight, but consistently maintained reduction in calories. It is as simple as that. A caloric deficit can occur not only by eating less food, but also from exercising. Extreme dieting such as the Atkins and the new ‘starvation’ diet only results in the opposite effect; a slowing of the metabolism, allowing for less food to be burned off and utilised as energy, promoting fat gain.
Weight loss ‘advice’ is not the only field that adopts the celebrity as a role model to perpetuate inaccurate or dangerous advice to sell articles.
Celebrities such as Arnold Swarzenegger have caused immeasurable harm within the world of physical culture. When we consider that Swarzenneger is blessed with tremendously favourable genetic advantages for bodybuilding compounded by regular steroid use, his development is far out of reach of the average reader.. For those sane enough to avoid steroid abuse, his training ‘advice’ has absolutely no relevance.
You might ask why the media focuses on the training advice of inappropriate role models such as Swarzenegger? It’s quite simple. The biggest names with the biggest muscles sell magazines and thus generate profit. If we want big muscles or a ‘ripped’ six pack, we’ll look to ‘model’ someone who has what we want and imitate how they got it.
How does the media benefit from perpetuating inaccurate training advice in order to encourage training failure? When you consider that many of the contributors and editors of commercial magazines actually own or have shares in their own supplement companies, the answer to the latter question becomes clear.
Research by the British Medical Association shows that in of a study of 1105 people in the Northwest of England, 50% from hardcore gyms, 13% at fitness gyms and 31% at mixed gyms admitted to using androgenic anabolic steroids.
Steroid use is not the only way to improve a person’s physical development. There are training methods that work for all who apply them sensibly and consistently, and with the required discipline and effort over time, although you’ll rarely find them written about in mainstream health and bodybuilding magazines. Proper and successful training doesn’t require fancy supplements, elaborate machines or trendy gym-clothes. It requires hard work on basic compound exercises to promote steadily increased development over a period of years.
Forget the “big arms in four weeks” or “lose 15 pounds of fat in two weeks” common in mainstream magazines. Such advice can potentially lead to eating disorders, illnesses through overtraining, and desperate dissatisfaction with oneself.
Bodybuilding is not the only sport plagued by steroids abuse. Statistics from the International Olympic Committee show that not only were there positive test results from competitors in events such as rowing, wrestling and athletics in the year 2000, but the problem is getting worse. There were 325 positive test results for Nandrolone in the year 2000, compared to 227 in 1993. Linford Christie, amongst other big name celebrity sportspeople, tested positive for Nandrolone, a type of anabolic steroid.
Role models are not always what they seem.
While I agree with the notion that good health and physical benefits come from a planned and sustained diet and exercise regime, I disagree with your argument regarding the relevance of training advice given from Arnold Schwarzenegger.
You say: “For those sane enough to avoid steroid abuse, his training ‘advice’ has absolutely no relevance.”
He was, and still is, the most successful bodybuilder ever, winning a record number of Olympia titles. Dedicating every day of his life for 20+ years to the sport; eating only foods that were deemed appropriate for training and muscle growth, and studying the mechanical, physical and biochemical functions of the human body to improve every part of his training. And although it’s no secret that he did take steroids, which he has openly admitted to, there were, and still are far worse culprits than himself.
“The biggest names with the biggest muscles sell magazines and thus generate profit.”
This may have had relevance 20 or 30 years ago but how many people in the year 2006 aspire to have the appearance of the now governor of California when in his physical prime? Few and far between.
It could also depend on how a person defines Schwarzenegger as a role model. Is it solely because he had the physical appearance of Adonis or could it be because he came from a poor family living in a small village in Austria who grew up to be one of the most recognisable people in the world? Breaking Hollywood box offices in the process and being tipped as a possible future White House tenant.
“There are training methods that work for all who apply them sensibly and consistently, and with the required discipline and effort over time, although you’ll rarely find them written about in mainstream health and bodybuilding magazines.”
The most popular health magazine for men in the US, UK and probably the world, Men’s Health, have featured articles every month on appropriate training routines and correct diet. Not once have they championed the use of steroids and in fact, frequently feature articles on their dangers. Not only this, they advise on other aspects of male health, including testicular cancer, binge drinking and injuries.
“Proper and successful training doesn’t require fancy supplements, elaborate machines or trendy gym-clothes. It requires hard work on basic compound exercises to promote steadily increased development over a period of years.”
True, training doesn’t require supplements for growth, but there are certain **legal** supplements that have been scientifically proven to help growth and physical output, for example, the amino acid, Creatine.
Stephen
Posted by: Stephen Davies | February 02, 2006 at 12:45 AM