The Biggest Loser has successfully completed 14 seasons with unbelievable transformations of multiple contestants, and the tradition continues with season 15 premiering October 8 at 7pm on NBC.
The Biggest Loser hits about 1,500,000 views in a season while on TV, according to FindTheBest’s website. The target audience is undefined so anybody who is entertained by weight loss and challenge should enjoy watching the show. The show’s popularity is fueled by its relevancy to people’s everyday life, especially because 69.2 percent of Americans are overweight, according to Center of Disease Control’s website.
What is the show trying to say?
The main message of the show is not only that people should be healthy and take care of their bodies, but if you push yourself through any tough situation, you end up a winner.
Although obesity is a major problem in America, the show also hits a point that even those not struggling with weight are able to learn and connect to.
“The show’s message is if you put in the hard work and push through, then you’ll see results,” Jamie Pryhuber, junior and fan, said. “This is shown through the contestants as well as the trainers.”
Who are the trainers?
The trainers are the most important characters in the transformation of the participants’ lives. They have to be tough but understanding, dictating but sensitive, and a trainer but also a friend, according to NBC’s website. The athletic trainers on The Biggest Loser are Bob Harper, Jillian Michaels, and Dolvett Quince.
Harper has been a part of the show from the very beginning, and he hopes to continue with the show for as long as he can, according to an interview on NBC’s website. He believes in the “Inside-Out” method and has consistently used it for the 14 successful years as a trainer on The Biggest Loser. This method includes healing all the mental and emotional issues first. Once that happens, the contestants tend to want to win more.
“When I am working with someone who is overweight, the first thing I do is take a look at their nutrition,” Bob Harper said in an interview with Radar Online. “The second is their workout.”
On the opposite extreme of the scale, Michaels has recently decided to come back after leaving the show for a couple seasons. She left The Biggest Loser for two seasons to start her individual show, Losing it with Jillian; however, she did not feel right separating from her “home show,” so she came back for season 14, according to NBC’s website. Unlike Harper’s tactics of training, Michaels uses a very aggressive strategy, verbally and physically, to “break down” her contestants in order to build them back up the right way.
“I’m not sympathetic [towards the contestants]. I have zero sympathy. I understand about emotional eating, I understand how painful the process can be, but I also understand that change is possible,” Jillian Michaels said in an interview with TIME. “Honesty is the best policy. And being a friend to somebody is not always the best way to help them.”
Somewhere in the middle is Quince, who joined The Biggest Loser family during season 12. He gained Michaels’ spot once she left, and has now been officially added to the roster of trainers for the show. His philosophy for the show is not only to transform each participant physically, but also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. He takes the means of change to a new level beyond what the show is for. His means of motivation are not as strict as Michaels yet not as emotional as Harper.
“I’m intense, but fair. I’m not too intense, but I’m also not too soft either,” Dolvett Quince said in an interview with NBC. “I’m the right combination of both.”
Even though each trainer has a different way of training, none of them are wrong in any way, shape, or form, according to NBC’s website. Even though each participant is put on a certain team, there is always an opportunity to work with each trainer throughout the stay.
Why should I watch this show?
“I watch [the show] because it is inspirational because people decide to turn their lives around,” Pryhuber said. “People should watch this show to get motivated to be healthy, and it shows what could happen if you keep up with it.”
Americans struggle with weight throughout their lives, but this show is made to help those who are not fortunate enough to have an opportunity like the contestants in the show. Although viewers are not able to physically be in the show, the show has the ability to motivate them from the TV screen.
“Most of America is becoming overweight, and all our food is pretty bad for us now. This show makes you realize what you are really eating,” Pryhuber said. “The cheapest stuff is not always healthy.”
This show has changed the lives of many, and anybody can be the next, according to NBC’s website. This show is the key to a happier and healthier life.
