Adam Ruins Weight Loss

Season 2, episode 2

**Adam Ruins Weight Loss** is the second episode of Season Two of *Adam Ruins Everything*. The episode aired on July 18, 2017.

## Synopsis

Buckle up as Adam goes on a dieting roller coaster ride to illustrate how low-fat diets can actually make you fatter, why counting calories is a waste of time and why you shouldn't necessarily trust extreme reality shows that promote sustained weight loss.

This episode's "Tell Me More" segment features an interview with Dr. Kevin D. Hall, a senior investigator at the National Institutes of Health who conducted a six-year study on contestants of The Biggest Loser.

## Plot

The episode opens with a man, named Sam, working out, trying to lose weight for his high school reunion. He reaches for a low-fat snack, only to find Adam sitting in his fridge. Adam claims that low-fat foods aren't good for a diet – it's just a big marketing ploy to get people to buy their foods.

Adam explains that people have been eating fat since humans came into existence. Cutting fat will not necessarily help you lose weight. The sugar industry teamed up with a phony scientist who claimed that fat was the cause of heart disease. He cherry-picked the data to support his claims and the sugar industry supported his claims because it meant that people would cut fat out of their diet- not sugar.

Adam also points out that calorie counts on packages is usually off by at least 20 calories. Calories aren't a smart way to measure what you eat. Calories depend on a number of factors. Adam also points out that fitness trackers completely overestimate the number of calories burned in a workout, sometimes by almost 40%.

Dr. Kevin D. Hall, from the National Institute of Health, helps Adam explain that going on extreme diet and exercise programs aren't fruitful in the end. Most people end up gaining the weight back eventually. Sometimes, these programs can even slow your metabolism long term, affecting your ability to lose weight long term.

## Cast

### Expert

* Dr. Kevin D. Hall as Himself
* Marion Nestle as Herself

### Guest

* Josh Banday as Sam
* Nathan Barnatt as Van Gogh
* Johnathan Fernandez as Flamien Flirst
* Rae Gray as Harry Potter
* Brendan Hunt as Professor Loiacono
* Adam Lustick as Eisenhower
* Avery Monsen as Willy Wonka
* Richie Moriarty as John Yudkin
* Julia Rickert as Mandy
* Brandon J. Sornberger as Ancel Keys
* Janet Varney as Mandy
* Amos Vernon as Uncle Sam
* Jennifer Zigrino as Marci
* Mike Drucker as Snacky the Whale (voice)
* Wade Barrett as Cavewoman
* Sean Bolger as Russian
* Michael Daniel Cassady as Male Doctor
* Melanie Haynes as Southern Chef
* Anthony Marciona as Mobster
* Ravi Naidu as Accountant
* Michael Nanfria as CIA Chief
* Michele Love Santoro as Producer
* Susan Song as Cupcake Scientist
* Joseph Winford Warren as Sugar Business Person

## References

* Adam Ruins Everything – Adam Ruins Weight Loss on TruTV

 Reanimated History
 Season Three
Adam Ruins A Plate of Nachos • Adam Ruins A Sitcom • Adam Ruins Games • Adam Ruins Nature • Adam Ruins America • Adam Ruins a Night Out • Adam Ruins Doing Good • Adam Ruins a Murder • Adam Ruins Music • Adam Ruins Little Bugs • Adam Ruins Cops • Adam Ruins Himself