I watched, "The Biggest Loser," off and on when it was on the air for a chunk of years--and incredibly popular. The show was, "Everywhere," from tie-in products to sponsored weight-loss camps, spoofs, and more. The idea of the show was straightforward--a group of overweight people work to lose the weight via exercise and healthier eating with assistance from trainers. Oh, and whoever loses the most weight (relative to their initial size/BMI/etc.) wins a bunch of money. The show was a weird mix of inspirational and exploitive. As someone who has struggled with is weight at various points in life, I both enjoyed the show and would be annoyed by it, often simultaneously. Contestants would endear themselves to us with their stories and how they desperately wanted to be healthy...and then we'd watch them do questionable challenges where they got hurt, were made to cry about food, or threw up from exerting themselves so much. "The Biggest Loser," tried to balance the vibes while always going, "Bigger," every season (no pun intended), before eventually, there was so much controversy that NBC opted not to renew it. Now, with the new three-part documentary on Netflix, "Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser," a lot of the show's legacy is reckoned with by contestants, producers who were willing to talk to the show, and one of the trainers, Bob Harper.
Anyone involved with creating the show or profiting off it admits that it had issues, but still defends it was overall helpful to most people. Bob Harper knows a lot of stuff was done to make good television, but he counters that he did want to assist folks in losing weight. I understand how he and Dr. Robert Huizenga believe they had the best interests of others at heart, I can even see the producers who made the show and who get interviewed for this series feel some contrition about certain aspects of the show. Plus, there are contestants glad they went on, "The Biggest Loser," so it clearly wasn't all bad. That said, this docu-series makes it clear, "The Biggest Loser," has a lot to answer for, along with any good it did.
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| Much respect to Bob Harper for being willing to grapple with the show's legacy--good and bad. |
"The Biggest Loser," pushed contestants to the brink in the name of good television. It didn't address the underlying psychological issues some contestants had that resulted in their weight issues. It showed an unrealistic idea of how you can lose weight (unless your job pays you to work out 6-8 hours a day it isn't feasible). This show furthered stereotypes about fat people being lazy, worthy of ridicule, and how if, "They," just put in some effort then they can lose the weight--any other excuses be damned. There are people interviewed for the show who, through being contestants or working on the show, suffered some lasting mental health and physical health issues. "The Biggest Loser," helped some people, but it harmed others too. I applaud Bob Harper for being willing to face that, but do wonder why the other, "Face," of the show declined to participate--Jillian Michaels.
Jillian Michaels was by no means broke before, "The Biggest Loser," but that show made her a millionaire. She made so much money off her likeness and name thanks to the show, and perhaps she 100% stands by it these years later. We don't know, because she refused to take part in this series. Hell, Bob reveals he hasn't talked to her for some time himself--she didn't even reach out after his sudden (and surprising) heart attack in 2017 to check on the guy! I was fascinated by this docu-series, but I wish Michaels had been willing to appear (I'm sure the people behind this series do too). If you have ever watched, "The Biggest Loser," other weight-loss competition shows, or even any reality TV, then this docuseries is a fascinating look, "Behind the curtain." Definitely give it a viewing.
5 out of 5 Stars.
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