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The largest loser It became a cultural phenomenon when it first performed in 2004 – but the show is also plagued with scandals and arguments.
When NBC presented the show, He was following a group of people is considered overweight that would compete in a 30 -week competition. The aim was to lose as many pounds as possible to be crowned “the biggest loser,” but with that came backlash.
Some viewers questioned how competitors are alleged to be pushed to lose weight through intense exercise and calorie constraints. Producers – and coaches – who worked on the Show denied the accusations, examined at Nocuseries August 2025 Netflix Fit for TV: the reality of the largest loser.
“I’ll stand behind everything I’ve ever done on that show,” said coach Bob Harper in a fit for a TV admission. “I’m proud of what I’ve done.”
The most lost franchise has mourned the deaths of some of the show’s competitors over the years. NBC showed the reality series in 2004, which followed a group of people who were considered overweight competing in a 30 -week competition. The aim was to lose as many pounds as possible to be crowned “the biggest loser.” (…)
Not everyone involved in the show took part in the whole. Jillian Michaels Lost notable, though a message about the Instructor leave announced At the end, he read, “Jillian Michaels refused to take part in this documentary.”
Keep scrolling for an analysis of the scandals and argument related to The largest loser::
Weight loss goals
Each season began with a weigh -in to determine the starting point for each competitor. From there, participants would take part in comprehensive exercise and nutritional schemes. Challenges were also presented to stimulate weight loss before another weighing.
The biggest concern at the time came from medical professionals who spoke about how safe weight loss is between 1 and 2 lbs a week. While doctors Robert Huizenga As part of the show, he revealed at Netflix’s Tell-all that his insight was not always implemented as competitors lose more than 10 lbs-and sometimes up to 20 to 30 lbs.
A disclaimer was issued at the end of Each episode of the show.
“Our competitors were supervised by doctors while taking part in the show, and their diet and exercise regimen was tailored to their specific medical status and needs,” read the statement. “Consult your own doctor before embarking on any diet or exercise program.”
Go too far
Have The largest loser skyrocketed to success, Several before -competitor spoke out for the lengths they went to lose weight. Ryan C. Benson remembers fasting and dehydration itself while Kai Hibbard have said The New York Times that she and other competitors would not drink water and would find ways to promote their weight loss.
Danny Cahill, Joelle Gwynn, Dr. Jen Kerns, Suzanne Mendonca, Olivia Ward, Tracey Yukich and Hannah Young Interview them for a fit for television, where most of them expressed problems with their time on the show. .
Many of the former competitors and winners revealed that they battled to maintain their weight loss in the long term after appearing on The largest loserAnd some opened for more pressing after being on the show than before.
-Coffee
During a chapter of the show in 2013, Michaels was accused of the show of cheating by allowing her team to take caffeine pills without Doctor’s permission. “I stand back in my opinion,” he said at the time. “Caffeine supplementation is significantly healthier than unlimited amounts of coffee.”
The show publicly acknowledged that caffeine pills were used against its own rules, and Michaels was reprimanded on the screen.
While Michaels stood by her decision on the show, she had more recently reflected on what she felt should be done differently. He told today’s health in 2021 The largest loser “Need a mental health professional”To help the competitors better.
“I think there was some random guy that they could talk to if needed, but these people needed deep work,” he explained. “When you have someone weighing 400 lbs, it’s not just an individual who likes pizza. There’s a great deal happening there emotionally.”
Michaels made it clear that she wouldn’t take back how she went to the show.
“The ones I have called on are the ones who kept me away,” he argued. “You need them to feel the pain of the way they’ve been living. You need them to have a rocket moment where they are like, ‘I can’t take one more second.'”
Michaels concluded: “The diet worked amazingly. You eat less, you move more, and then go. The competitors who were unsuccessful when they went home, they had unresolved problems with food.”
Hannah Jiles, Janelle Brown and more reality TV personalities have been honest about weight loss since appearing on camera. Hannah, for her part, often discusses the positivity of the body during love is Blind Season 7, broadcast in October 2024. “I have always struggled with my weight, my whole life. Whether I was thin or was (…)
Rachel Frederickson’s transformation
Season 15, which was broadcast in 2013, was ashamed of his finale where the winner Frederickson walked out and the coaches responded in horror as she lost weight significantly. After entering the show at 260 lbs, Frederickson was 105 lbs in the finale but regained 20 lbs later in the midst of public concern.
“My self-esteem was again affected by the voices of others-this time, the kind that lives forever in Facebook posts or written on magazine pages,” he wrote in an essay in 2014.
A formal investigation
The New York Post Exposé announced in 2016 with quotes from Gwynn and Mendonca about the challenges that came with being on the show and the result. The report noted that California authorities look into allegations that The largest loser have been topping competitors.
NBC rejected these allegations at the time, and no formal investigation was obtained. Netflix’s Docuseries noted that “no one involved in the show has faced criminal charges for distributing the illegal substances alleged in the New York Post.”
Docuseries ‘Fit for TV’
In August 2025, Netflix Docuseries included interviews with former competitors, hosts Alison Sweeney and producers for what went on behind the scenes. Some participants revealed that they had continued to struggle with chaotic eating issues and mental health since their time forward The largest loser.
There were also updates on who won the competitors back The weight they lost on the show. Gwynn and Mendonca spoke specifically about their decision to use Ozempic to help lose weight and curb their hunger.
