The Biggest Loser 3, Episode 11: Thin Contestants, Bloated Show

Welcome to the eleventh episode of The Biggest Loser 3! This series focuses on overweight contestants and their struggles to lose weight and, in the process, regain control of their lives. Challenges and temptations bar the way to a $250,000 cash prize for the contestant who loses the greatest percentage of their original body weight.

As it has been announced that the finale is next week and four contestants will be in the finale, this week features the most painful elimination of the season. In addition, this is a two-hour episode, with the first hour allocated to some painfully brief and repetitive reprisals of earlier events, adverts for the Biggest Loser Club, and a feature about obesity in school kids.

I feel a rant coming on. I agree that obesity in kids in a terrible problem and needs to be addressed. But that’s hardly why we tune in. What I object to is having a 45-minute documentary shoved at me pretending to be an episode of a top-rated show. If you want to address the issue, fine – but do it properly.

I refer you to the excellent multi-part series Jamie Oliver’s School Dinners for a fuller examination of ALL SIDES of the problem. Yes, it was based in London, but the ugly statistics are all the same. It showed that the costs of providing McFood is lower and that even when presented with healthy alternatives, kids don’t choose them. There are other issues at work here, and all the blame does not fall completely to the schools.

I’m guessing that at this point, many viewers are thinking, “Just feed my kids better.” There’s one source of income for the school system, and one only – so every reader who thinks they should be paying more taxes, email me your home state, email address, and the number of voting-age-adults in your home so I can forward it to your respective congressman.

OK, rant over.

So, teen angst notwithstanding, we’re going to do a skim of the first part of the show. Action starts at two high schools, the alma maters of Kim and last season’s winner, Matt. Small teams of five or six kids will embark on a mini-Biggest-Loser program. Here’s what they want you to know:

• There are over twelve million obese kids in the United States.
• The kids are told their parents have a greater life expectancy that they do.
• Most kids who have some level of activity who go on to university/college, stop it at that point.
• Most kids spend up to 30 hours a week watching TV.
• Many kids can’t recognize common raw vegetables.
• Tons and tons of bad stuff are being fed to kids in schools.
• A Bob note: Lose 3500 calories a week by not drinking soda pop. That’s a pound saved, right there.

Scenes shift between Kim’s school and that of last season’s winner Matt Hooper, who is accompanied by his trainer and friend, Bob Harper. A high school picture of Kim shows us she was a pretty good looker back then as well. I like the big hair. Alas, we don’t get to see what Bob looked like back in high school. Matt looks a little bigger than the day he won his title.

Bob tells his audience that if they leave today with only one message, it should be “Don’t quit.” He explains that quitting is a habit that one falls into easily.

Both trainers introduce about a half dozen kids from the crowd that they will be working with in a mini version of the Loser challenge. Bob’s group includes Homecoming Queen Brittany. All the kids have good reasons to lose weight.

In a teaser of the show I thought I would be watching, a 30-second clip recaps Erik’s time at the ranch. What follows is the 30-second story of Cindy, a member of the Biggest Loser Club. If you don’t know about the Club, you can read about it at the show’s website. A perpetual bridesmaid (literally), she could never get motivated until now. So far she’s lost 82 pounds. Good for you, Cindy!

Back in school, it’s time for the kids to experience their first Biggest Loser workouts. We learn that young Kandace hopes to avoid the need for insulin shots, and Ryan is tired of being shown up by his 52-year-old dad when they ski. Wait, is that really so old?

Next, a 15-second teaser of the show I want to be writing about is aired, featuring Wylie. Then, in our next filler-clip, we meet Romy from the Biggest Loser Club. Looking real good, she has lost 68 pounds after improving her eating habits. Good for her.

Back at school, Bob visits the cafeteria to see the crap kids eat at school these days. Mostly, it’s pizza and breaded chicken. Today’s vegetable is tater tots, and the dessert menu is even uglier. Bob admits there’s nothing at the cafeteria that he would eat. Over the summer, a wellness program has gone into effect and Bob is pleased that some positive steps are being taken. His suggestion is to be more aggressive, though.

Kim has a similar experience in her cafeteria. She also finds nothing she would eat. A server tells Kim that when they have healthy options, they don’t sell. Finally, some truth!

The next morning, Bob sees the standard school breakfast. It looks like a McMuffin accompanied by a lot of fried stuff. Again, it’s head-shaking time for Bob.

Wow, lookee here – another 20-second bit about the real show. This one features Kai.

Corey is our next Biggest Loser Club story. He has gone from 299 to 215 pounds and has been able to meet a “special someone” – good for you, Corey!

The kids are on their own now, trying to stick with the program. They miss chocolate and fries, and hate running. Gosh, who could have predicted that? However, some of them are really getting into the program.