Day 262: The Biggest Loser

Tonight was the season premiere of The Biggest Loser, and well it was a whopper! I really love this program. Let me tell you why. I feel like these folks' lives have gotten so far off track, and food has become an enemy. Some contestants have experienced extreme loss, hardship, overbearing disappointment, while others just simply stuffed their mouth with way too much food (honestly they all did this).

This season there are 54 year old identical twin brothers on the show. One brother shared how he lost his son to an overdose of drugs a few years before. The other brother shared how his only son won't even speak to him because he is so obese. There is a former Olympic Gold athlete on the show who has let his body mushroom to 500 pounds. Really? How the hell does this happen? Each has a story to tell about their journey to obesity. Some are very painful. Abuse, victims of a violent crime, divorce, loss of a spouse, loss of a child. If I ever experienced such a tragedy would I turn to food to soothe my soul?

Parts of the show are almost too grotesque to view. What happens though throughout the season is that these people transform their lives. They are given the tools to be healthier people and to deal with their demons. It is so gratifying to see a contestant at the end of the program when they have transformed their bodies. It shows that no matter how far gone you may be, there is hope to get back to the person you were before the tragedy, the loss, the "whatever".

I know that many people have no empathy for these folks. They just chalk it up to an abuse of food. In part this is accurate, but not everyone has the strength to be so strong to resist temptation. So I rejoice in people's triumphs and their desire to change their bodies and in the process their lives.

I say kudos to the program producers for creating a show that doesn't make you a star, but gives you your life back.