NBC’s The Biggest Loser continues to ride a wave of popularity as it helps contestants move towards a healthy lifestyle. OHSOGRAY recently chatted with creator David Broome, trainer Bob Harper, and contestant Emmy Lou Munoz about weightloss strategies, struggles, and the future of the show.
The Biggest Loser airs on Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC.
What do you see for the future of the show? Do you anticipate any format changes or approaches for getting contestants healthy?
David Broome: Yes, you know, I do think that the show will continue to evolve. I mean, we have – I actually think that we’re in — and this season is the best example of that — I think that we are in maybe one of the best seasons that we’ve ever had on the show for lots of lots of different reasons. The format has – is fresh, Bob’s role is so instrumental in what we’re doing in giving these people a second chance.
This season is a very good example of just tapping into different storylines. You know, our glory days of taking people who’ve been the very, very top of their game and athletes and — professional athletes — and amateur athletes and to have them fall so low, only to have us root to see them come back up. And then giving them a second chance when they go see Bob. It’s a good example of what we’re continuing looking to do.
I think the show will continue to change a bit as we look to continue to freshen it up. And – but the most important thing is to make our contestants as relatable to the world as they possibly can be, to tell the stories. Because at the end of the day, that’s what this show is about. This show is there to take a contestant and have somebody be able to relate to that person. And go through this amazing journey with them. So we have some exciting things planned in the future. But – and I think this season is probably the best example of just how we’ll continue to look to do some things, keep it fresh.
Bob, while the show has ardent fans, it’s also had some who are concerned about how rapidly and how much some of the contestants lose. Has that feedback caused you to rethink in any way your process for helping contestants lose weight?
Bob Harper: I think that one thing we’ve really shown on our show is the doctor reports of – we see their blood pressures drop. We see their triglycerides; we see all their numbers lower when they’re losing weight. So it’s like – I feel like it was such a safe way to talk about weight loss saying its one to two pounds per week. Is it extreme? Absolutely. It’s an extreme weight loss show. However, I feel like what we have seen are bodies getting healthier and stronger on our show.
Emmy, do you feel like there’s something that you’ve learned that you could’ve told yourself in the past to get this started earlier or do you really feel like this is something where a person has to get to a certain point in their lives to be able to make the decision to change the way that they deal with food?
Emmy Lou Munoz: Yes. I do feel like it’s something that you have to come to a point in your life where you’re ready to make that choice. We can tell ourselves all day long that we want to change because I had done the fad diet, I had done it before and it wasn’t working. But I feel, yes, I feel like you have to get to that point where you are literally at rock bottom and finally say, enough’s enough and you bear down and you make that change, because that’s what it really takes. If you’re at a point where you’re teeter tottering and you’re just like, well, you know, I’ll do this today but tomorrow I’ll do this, it just doesn’t work that way.
You have to truly be 100% ready and I really do, I think someone has to get that spot where they have hit rock bottom, and there’s nowhere else to go but up.
Having gone through your program for a while, do you feel like there’s something that could change with the program or something that you would like to have that you haven’t gotten yet?
Emmy Lou Munoz: You know, I’m still always working on my food. People always sit here and say, even though I’m doing really good with the food and everything, people always say you have to find what works for you.
I have weeks where I’ll do something and I’ll see a weight loss being greater or smaller and I kind of look back and look at what I’m eating. I’m constantly tweaking on my food just because I guess everyone always telling, you have to find what works for your body, because what works for one person, doesn’t always work for another.
You really have to look into your body and really watch what you’re doing and just finding out what works for you, so I’m always doing that. That’s something that I’m constantly doing with myself, just see what does work for me and my body.