Wait, what do you mean the claim &quot;has never been duplicated in a laboratory&quot;? The article was about EXACTLY THAT THING.<p>A dozen former Biggest Loser contestants went <i>into a laboratory</i> for a few days for a study in which they had their metabolism analyzed and it was verified that six years after losing weight on the show, all their metabolic rates were substantially reduced - by an average of 500 calories&#x2F;day - from what would be normal for someone their weight.<p>In the context of this study result, a small woman failing to lose weight on an 800-calorie&#x2F;day diet should not constitute an extraordinary claim.<p>(Doing the math: imagine her normal metabolism level might previously have required 1200 calories&#x2F;day. Subtract ~500 due to having dieted, add ~100 for her &quot;hour of exercise&quot;, and we&#x27;re at ~800&#x2F;day.)