For seventeen seasons, NBC's The Biggest Loser pitted obese or overweight contestants against
each other to see who could lose the most weight.
It's not without its detractors, but it also gained a huge following in its decade-plus
run, inspiring thousands to take charge of their lives and get fit.
Here are a few facts about the reality TV juggernaut even its most vocal admirers may
not know.
Product placement aplenty
Savvy pop-culture diehards know that companies pay millions to get their products featured
on hit shows and movies, which helps producers offset the high costs of filming.
But did you know that The Biggest Loser was one of the most lucrative beneficiaries of
this practice?
"These Ziploc containers, the size of them?
They're perfect for a 100 calorie snack."
In 2011 alone, the show boasted a whopping 533 product placements in just 34 episodes,
according to Business Insider.
The Biggest Earner
Agreeing to feature as many products as possible wasn't the only way The Biggest Loser made
bank.
At one point, the franchise was bringing in about $100 million a year, according to the
New York Post.
That figure accounts for advertising as well as the many Biggest Loser-branded weight loss
goods and services.
Fans snatched up mountains of cookbooks, exercise DVDs, protein powder, workout clothes, and
even video games.
"It's time to change your life and become 'The Biggest Loser.'
Get off the couch — c'mon! — and start playing the game!"
Fans can also pay to attend Biggest Loser fitness camps or "resorts," just like on the
show.
Showmance shame
When a bunch of people are tossed into a captive, intimate situation for a long period of time,
crushes and relationships are sure to develop, only viewers didn't see these so-called "showmances"
on The Biggest Loser as much as they would on other reality TV offerings.
Why?
Well, one contestant told Cracked that camera operators often wouldn't even film canoodling
couples because of the perception that viewers at home didn't want to see overweight people
kissing.
When couples were revealed, it was likely to be late in the season, when contestants
were skinnier and deemed more attractive.
For example, Season 2 winner Matt Hoover and runner-up Suzy Preston revealed their relationship
during their season's final episode.
Emotional starvation
For Biggest Loser's hard-working contestants, much-needed contact with loved ones was kept
to a bare minimum, according to show alums.
After a month or so of training and taping, contestants could reportedly receive written
letters from home.
After six weeks, they graduated to a weekly, supervised five-minute phone call.
In-person visits, except those filmed for segments on the show, were strictly forbidden.
"I've never met him before, so I'm so thrilled to see them, it sends chills through my body."
Off-camera field trips
The contestants weren't totally ranch-bound.
Aside from Biggest Loser standards such as mini-vacations or trips to restaurants to
learn about healthier eating, the competitors were reportedly treated to off-camera day
trips.
On contestant said her cast was driven the 60 miles from the ranch where The Biggest
Loser was taped into Los Angeles for activities such as spin classes, long hikes, or to pick
up healthy snacks at Whole Foods.
Making friends
While The Biggest Loser may have employed ruthless tactics to make compelling entertainment
and a whole lot of money, at its heart were real people trying to lose weight and develop
healthy habits.
In the process, many contestants forged lifelong bonds and still serve as personal cheerleaders
for one another.
In an interview with A.V.
Club, one contestant said there's a private Facebook group just for former Biggest Loser
competitors:
"We have an alumni Facebook group, and that's a really great way for everyone to kind of
vent and talk about how they're feeling.
People post their weight and they're not ashamed of it and people give them advice.
That's a good tool."
Big ending?
Despite its massive profits, The Biggest Loser last aired in early 2016, and as of August
2017, a new season is still not in production.
If and when it will return is officially "unknown," but the show's doctor claims it won't be coming
back at all, according to court documents.
After a contestant accused him of giving patients controversial drugs to help them lose weight
faster, he sued for libel.
After that, he claims NBC washed its hands of the show for good.
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