Biggest Loser: Couples
on NBC
By Ally Matteodo
NBC’s popular Makeover Week
episode of The Biggest Loser: Couples, aired on Tuesday, May 4th at 8:00
p.m. ET. This inspiring program reaps the honor of Best TV Show of the
Week. In this reality series, trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper
whip overweight contestants into shape over the course of four months. At the
end of every episode, the contestants weigh in, and whichever two contestants
lose the least percentage of body weight are up for elimination. The remaining
players then vote on who they wish to remain. However, the game varies
depending on how the players are organized. Mid-season, the contestants are
normally broken up into two teams, and whichever team as a whole fails to lose
the most weight loses a player. Whoever loses the most weight will be declared
“The Biggest Loser,” and win a $250,000 prize.
For this year’s makeover
extravaganza the remaining contestants, Ashley, Sunshine, Michael, Sam, Koli,
and Daris, all received $1000 from host Alison Sweeney for a shopping spree.
Afterwards, their locks are shorn, twirled, and dyed by legendary hair stylist
Jonathan Antin. Following this, the players are surprised by some of their
loved ones, and then wowed again when they enjoy an exclusive private concert
with singer Ashanti. However, there is no rest for the weary, and the next day
the players must face a challenge. The contestants are instructed to climb on a
Jacob’s Ladder (an exercise machine on which rungs of a ladder continually
rotate) suspended over the pool. Whoever falls off first earns a one pound
disadvantage at the weigh-in, and whoever stays on the longest earns a one pound
advantage. Koli wins the challenge after battling it out with Daris for two and
a half hours. At the final weigh-in, Sam is eliminated, suffering the lowest
percentage of weight loss, but it’s a happy goodbye: during the follow-up
segment, Sam discloses that he weighs 236 pounds, 2 pounds less then his
original goal weight of 238. In addition, he moved to Los Angeles and now lives
with another former Biggest Loser contestant -- and his sweetheart --
Stephanie. During their time on the Biggest Loser Ranch they fell in love, and
now Sam eagerly looks forward to helping her reach her goal weight as well.
The contestants on The
Biggest Loser first arrive on the ranch dejected and dangerously
overweight. Many suffer from diabetes, high cholesterol, and respiratory
problems due to their size. Yet in just a few short weeks, viewers begin to see
the difference. Through good old-fashioned healthy eating and working out, the
contestants shed their pounds and prior bad habits, including emotional eating,
fatty foods, and binging. In a truly transforming experience, the contestants
become more confident and stronger right in front of our very eyes. In no
episode are these transformations more apparent then in the Makeover Week
episode. Yet even though their new svelte looks are highlighted, the program
never lets us forget that what truly matters is what’s on the inside. The
contestants resolved to change their lives and move from a state of inertia to
one of action -- and all that hard work is reflected in their glowing smiles and
radiant countenances.
Best TV Show
of the Week
The Parents
Television Council -
www.parentstv.org
