The Biggest Loser Review

   Obesity is a huge, pun intended, problem in America and around the world.  40 million Americas, over 1 in 10, are classified as obese.  Obesity is increasingly becoming a contributor to early deaths for many Americans.  Some would say it's an epidemic, and that it must be stopped.  Even First Lady Michelle Obama has dedicated her efforts to fighting childhood obesity.  But what is the average overweight American to do?  How are these people supposed to find the information they need to lose the weight, to keep it off, and to be inspired to overcome the weight?  Well, for better or worse, The Biggest Loser is the answer.

     The Biggest Loser, now trucking into its tenth season, is easily the most popular weight loss show in the world.  Various overweight contestants from all over America are invited to stay in the "Biggest Loser Ranch" and try to lose the weight.  In a quasi-combination of Survivor style challenges and the fraternity style living of Big Brother, except with fat people, the contestants compete each week to see who can lose the most weight.  Each week a contestant is voted off, usually determinant on how much weight they lost that week.  The grand prize for the Biggest Loser contestants, besides developing a healthy life style of course, is a 250,000 dollar prize.  The at-home contestants also compete for a monetary prize of 100,000 dollars, so as to encourage the contestants to continue their weight loss journey at home, and to provide incentive upon reaching that goal.  Each season is a little bit different, and is defined by that particular group of contestants.  Sometimes they're a happy-go-lucky family (Boring TV), and sometimes there is much drama and "game play" involved (Good TV).

    There is no middle ground with the Biggest Loser.  Either you love the inspiring show that teaches people how to live healthy lifestyles physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually all the while making a difference in the lives of all the people that watch the show.  Or you hate the cheesy show that takes advantage of fat people, pushing them to their limits to the point where they're nearly dead, and brings out the worst in people all in pursuit of a $250,000 prize.  I am a member of the first camp.  Yes, The Biggest Loser has it's faults.  The show can be unbelievably cheesy, and the product placement is unnecessary and cringe-worthy.  Some of the contestants are jerks, and just ruin the show for the rest of the contestants.  (This however can make for really great reality television.)  It can often be really repetitive, and when the show tries to differentiate itself from previous seasons, it is just....stupid.  Take for example moving the weigh ins to the MIDDLE of the week instead of the end of the week.  While it certainly does make it harder for the contestants and increase the drama in the Biggest Loser house, it really messes up the flow of each episode.  Some formulas you just shouldn't mess with.  Despite all its faults, which can seem to be quite numerous sometimes, I love this show and I am an unabashed fan.

     The Biggest Loser is probably one of the most, if not the most inspiring show on television.  There is quite literally no other show like it on television.  No other show takes in a group of people who are quite broken, both physically and mentally, and gives them hope for a better life and teaches them to be healthy.  How can one hate a show about people changing their lives?  It is so inspiring to see these unhealthy, broken people throw off the shackles of weight loss and live their lives for themselves.  And some of these people are quite broken.  I have never seen such a collection of death, despair, and depression as I've seen on The Biggest Loser.  Parents dead, children dead, emotional abuse, physical abuse, pretty much every cataclysmic life experience one can think of, these people have gone through.  It really puts into perspective the emotional reasons that people are overweight.  Some people aren't overweight just because they are lazy and too much, there are some deeply disturbing emotional causes.  It just makes one's heart ache.  But just like every situation in life, there is always hope.  These people are able to turn their lives around thanks to the help of two fantastic trainers named Bob and Jillian.

    Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels make the show worth watching.  Watching destroy the contestants during the workouts is so funny, and it makes you feel for these people, who are able to withstand a physical experience that would make Marines look like Girl Scouts.  But, there's more to them than that.  They're not just there to kill the contestants every day, they actually care about them.  Bob and Jillian drag these people out of whatever hole they've dug themselves into and turn their lives around.  Weak-willed women shouldn't watch this show, because they'll probably cry every single episode.
    I could go on about the stupid challenges, the dumb "theme episodes", the "over-dramatic" reactions the cast has to EVERYTHING, and how much I think host Allison Sweeney tries way too hard to be a "cool" host.  But I won't.  I have been watching the Biggest Loser for a long time, and it has given me more then most people realize.  I used to be an overweight kid, and I struggled with it for a very long time.  I was never very motivated to lose weight, and I just kinda dealt with it.  I partially credit The Biggest Loser for kick starting my weight loss journey.  Over the course of 8th grade year I lost nearly 50 pounds, and I haven't looked back since then.  I am a living example of the difference The Biggest Loser can make in people's lives.  There is nothing more inspiring then that.

*UPDATE*
To see what a difference The Biggest Loser can make in the lives of others, here's a list of all The Biggest Loser winners from the past 9 seasons.
Season 1. Ryan Benson:
Staring Weight: 330 lbs
Ending Weight: 208 lbs
This is one of the big contributors to critics of deride the show for turning weight loss into a competition.  Ryan has stated that he starved himself after the show was over, and gained 30 pounds back from water weight alone.  He also stated that after the show was over he felt no pressure to keep the wight off.  He has since ballooned back to 307 pounds, only 23 less then when he started the show.  He is the cautionary tale for all Biggest Loser contestants.  After recently appearing on a Biggest Loser special, he has vowed to start losing the weight..again.


Season 2. Matt Hoover
Starting Weight: 339 lbs
Ending Weight: 182 lbs
One of the sweetest and most successful Biggest Loser stories, Matt is now happily married with two children to his wife Suzy Hoover, who he met on the Biggest Loser.  Despite going up to 237 pounds, he is still in great physical shape and recently competed in the Iron Man Competition in Hawaii.



Season 3. Erik Chopin
Starting Weight: 407 lbs
Ending Weight: 193 lbs
Erik also went on to gain the weight back, up to 360 pounds, but Bob encouraged him to try and lose it again.    He appeared at the Biggest Loser finale, and is successfully losing the weight...again.  He has been true to his word, and has gotten back down to a healthy weight of 245.



Season 4: Bill Germanakos
Starting Weight: 334 lbs
Ending Weight: 170 lbs
Bill's weight is now 207 pounds and is one of the more successful Biggest Loser contestants.  He currently is a health and fitness instructor who speaks across the country as well as teaches spinning classes.




Season 5: Ali Vincent
Starting Weight: 234 lbs
Ending Weight: 122 lbs
Ali was the first female winner, and is one of the most visible contestants.  She now weighs 125 lbs, and was a spokesperson for 24 Hour Fitness.  Her book, "Believe it, Be it", will be released this fall.


Season 6: Michelle Aguilar
Starting Weight: 242 lbs
Ending Weight: 122 lbs
Michelle continued the streak of Pink Team girls winning, and has continued to keep the weight off.


Season 7: Helen Phillips
Starting Weight: 257 lbs
Ending Weight: 117 lbs
Helen was the third Pink Team winner in a row to win the Biggest Loser.  She had the highest percentage of weight loss for any Biggest Loser female contestant, at over 54%.  She has successfully kept the weight off, and is up to 135 lbs.


Season 8: Danny Cahill
Starting Weight: 430 lbs
Ending Weight: 191 lbs
Danny is one of the most successful Biggest Loser contestants in history, holding the record for biggest percentage of weight loss, at over 55%.  He has kept the weight off and continues help out with The Biggest Loser, recently appearing in Season 10.  He has kept the weight off.



Season 9: Michael Ventrella
Starting Weight: 526 lbs
Ending Weight: 262 lbs
Michael is the heaviest contestant in Biggest Loser history, and the only one to weigh over 500 pounds.  He set a record for most weight lost by a contestant, at 264 pounds.  He is the most recent winner, and at this writing has continued to keep the weight off.


Season 10: Patrick House
Starting Weight: 400 lbs
Ending Weight: 219 lbs
Patrick, who was unemployed for several months prior to the filming of Season 10, is the most recent winner. He is going to use the money to pay off debts, and now has a job at a school for overweight kids.  It remains to be seen whether he will keep the weight off or not.
 I'll continue to watch The Biggest Loser until it goes off the air, no matter how stupid or silly it gets, because I believe in what it stands for.  The Biggest Loser motto is "Changing Lives" and I am all for that.  No other show about fat people losing weight is as entertaining and inspiring as The Biggest Loser.  If you're not watching it, why not?  There's nothing quite like watching these people go through hell in order to improve themselves, their families, their communities, and the world.  Any show that does that, can't be all bad...