TV shows «16 weeks of hell» premiered on tvNorge and Discovery+ on Monday. It didn’t go unnoticed.

Influencer Linnéa Myhre took to Twitter on Monday calling the program the cursed thing she’s seen, asking for more public information and claiming that the diet doesn’t work.

Ingeborg Senneset of Aftenposten told NRK that the program insists that people who are overweight should “shame, sharpen and fix it”. TV student Juni Hoem claimed on VG that the program encourages viewers to exercise and get rid of shame and self-loathing.

We don’t agree, but glad that this program stirred up debate. The topics covered by the program are important.

«16 weeks of hell» follows six celebrities as they undergo training and diet plans prepared by experts in their fields, and they are followed by Martin Johnsrud Sundby and nutritionist Anette Skarpaas Ramm.

The goal is to start lasting lifestyle changes. The focus of this program is not on appearance, but on achieving a healthier and stronger body. For many participants, it also means a lighter body.

Already in the title, viewers are given a clear message that this is not a regime that participants should follow forever. 16 weeks is the start of lasting lifestyle changes. This is difficult, even for highly motivated celebrities with cameras behind them.

In two episodes available so far on Discovery+, viewers gain insight into some of the health challenges participants face. Dangerously high cholesterol, diabetes, heart problems, and back and knee problems are among them. Some cases require treatment.

Individual motivations for participating in these programs range from gaining benefits and energy for the children, to relieving pain and being able to discontinue medication. The program series follows their development.

There are many handles we can take in this program. We can have more public information, guide viewers in the jungle of diets and programs, we can have psychologists, we can be clearer that there are many roads to Rome, we can choose thinner celebrities.

There is no shortage of input from commentators. There are also many other programs we can make about health, diet, eating disorders, exercise, diet and the underlying reasons why people have them the way they are.

We make «16 weeks of hell»and it causes debate.

But facts we do not waste it, no matter what steps we have taken and what programs we have delivered, is as follows: Overweight and obesity can be very harmful to health, and weight loss can contribute to better health!

This seems to be the case for the program’s critics.

That’s to tell that weight loss can contribute to improved health, embarrass people and in the worst cases develop eating disorders.

In Ingeborg Senneset’s own newspaper, Aftenposten, journalist Joacim Lund A guide which responded well and documented to the criticisms made by Myhre. Lund isn’t as profiled as Myhre, so his comments barely make the same headlines. It deserves it.

We are proud «16 weeks of hell», and we are proud of what our participants have achieved! We hope that more people watch the program (even those who share the Myhre Twitter thread without ever seeing it).

Because apart from the drama being reproduced with the war type, we have received a lot of feedback that this is a positive program with contributors who inspire viewers to improve their own health.

We applaud that and the debate!