Weight loss shows have been a hot topic since I launched Hot On The Street in 2010. One of my first posts mentioned the TLC spinoff series Say Yes To The Dress: Big Bliss. Followed by another article about MTV’s I Used To Be Fat. That year, I presented about weight discrimination at Western University’s Flaunting It conference as a Gender and Women’s Studies student. No matter what anyone says about Ozempic, obesity remains an ongoing concern.
I was curious what the new Netflix documentary Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser would uncover. It’s been years since I watched the first few seasons! Former contestants Joelle Gwynn and Tracey Yukich as well as winner Danny Cahill reflect on their experiences alongside Dr. Robert Huizenga, host Alison Sweeney and creators/producers David Broome and JD Roth.
Netflix also includes author Aubrey Gordon, although she doesn’t say anything particularly remarkable. As an activist, Aubrey is no stranger to documentaries. She starred in My Fat Friend, which I had a chance to see at the Hot Docs theatre in Toronto last year. Her outsider’s perspective complements The Biggest Loser’s cast and crew, but her critique could go deeper.
If you haven’t seen any recent interviews or posts from trainer Bob Harper, hearing his story 20 years later is refreshing. At the beginning of The Biggest Loser, he concealed his tattoos and sexuality. Now he’s more outspoken than ever. He shares how a surprise training session with Julia Roberts led to his career as a celebrity trainer and he hadn’t trained any obese clients prior to the series.
I don’t blame Jillian Michaels for skipping the documentary, but she should’ve reached out to Bob Harper after he had a heart attack and nearly died. You worked together for 17 years, but couldn’t send a quick text? Meanwhile, season 11 winner Olivia Ward named her baby after Bob Harper as a testament to how he changed her life.
The Biggest Loser started as a novel concept to address the obesity epidemic. However, as its popularity grew, the physical challenges intensified to become more sensational than previous seasons. This may have led to more revenue for NBC, but the contestants paid the price.
The contestants would’ve really benefited from an onsite therapist. Planning their accommodations, meals and workouts was insufficient. Imagine leaving your family for six months to live on a ranch for an incredibly grueling weight loss program without anyone qualified to help you process your thoughts. The contestants competed with strangers and handled trainers’ verbal abuse under tough conditions. I realize it took years for summer camps to hire social workers to help with kids’ mental health, but this was a serious oversight for NBC.
Jillian Michaels concurred in a 2021 interview with TODAY, “The Biggest Loser needed a mental health professional. I think there was some random guy they could talk to if they needed, but these people needed deep work. When you have someone that weighs 400 pounds, that’s not just an individual who likes pizza. There’s a whole lot going on there emotionally.”
It’s also frustrating how early contestants were forced to sign legal contracts after hopping on a plane last minute without access to legal counsel. When a contestant asked to speak to a lawyer, they were rudely reminded of all the Americans who would love to replace them without asking questions.
I enjoyed watching initial episodes of The Biggest Loser, but the documentary highlights why its legacy is complicated. Some contestants had amazing transformations, while others struggled with regaining weight and receiving threats. And it may have motivated some viewers to start exercising, but it also promoted mocking obese people as entertainment.
Overall, Netflix created a high-quality docuseries that’s worth the hype. It focuses on the show without fluffy footage about fast food or the history of television. Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser lets you reflect on the evolution of the wellness industry. I also talked to Sebastien Lagree, founder of Lagree Fitness about the mental health benefits of exercise.
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