UMSL’s Jina H. Yoo conducted a study that finds watching the NBC reality show “The Biggest Loser” can spur anti-fat attitudes. (Photo by August Jennewein)

Since its debut in 2004, NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” has become a hit, drawing huge ratings and becoming one of the most popular reality television shows in the U.S.

But instead of stoking sympathy for the overweight contestants the show foments anti-fat attitudes, according to a study by Jina H. Yoo, associate professor of communication at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

Stories on Yoo’s study were published by the Daily Mail Online and Nature World News. Her study was referenced in an article by the International Business Times, and a story by UMSL was posted on the websites Medical Xpress and EmpowHER.