Shame on You for Being Fat?

And yet, the show leads to life changes and people losing significant weight and keeping it off better than the national average. Does humiliation and shame have to be part of a successful weight loss strategy though?

Research would tell us no. One study by Emory University found that female monkeys who were continually harassed by dominant monkeys ate more high-fat foods and more frequently than their dominant female counterparts, telling us that psychological stress can lead to overeating. In another study, researchers from the University of Alberta found that humiliation in physical education class as a child can turn people off of fitness for good.

Scientists at Yale University found that those who were more successful in losing weight and keeping it off had higher levels of self-esteem and self-confidence -- the antithesis of shame. But where is the line drawn between inviting public scrutiny as a check on your own behaviors and using that exposure to be shamed into weight loss? More importantly, is it sustainable?

The New York Times Freakonomics blogger writes about a co-worker who stashes his chocolate-covered popcorn in another coworker's office so when he wants to "pig out" on his treats, he will have to suffer the embarrassment of someone else watching him. It also means the popcorn-lover has to get up and walk over to get to his treat. However, the coworker noted it was the shame of stuffing his face with salty, chocolaty popcorn in front of someone else -- and not the moments of reflection on the walk over -- that deterred him from pigging out more often.

While self-induced shaming may seem counter-intuitive to confidence building and healthy weight loss, involving others with your food issues is not always a bad thing. Many bloggers start writing about their quest to lose weight because they are looking to hold themselves accountable.

Others prefer to use Twitter's Tweet What You Eat online food journal where the whole world will know if you gorged on half a pizza. This could be seen as a similar mindset to the person who stashes food in a neighboring cubicle. If you don't trust yourself enough to stay honest, you may turn to friends (or strangers on the Internet) to help you overcome mindless eating or even bigger slip-ups. From Biggest Loser contestants to successful weight loss bloggers, many would argue that the transparency builds confidence rather than destroys it.

What do you think? What lengths would you go to in order to lose weight? Do you think that taking your food issues into the public sphere just invites public shame and humiliation? Or do you think that being open about your issues garners positive support?

For one woman, joining Sparkpeople allowed her to get control of her eating and find community support.