At first, I thought “The Biggest Loser” was a reality show with a good heart, improving the lives of morbidly obese people. Yet chasing ratings the producers seemed to have gone over the rails and while I don’t mind a strict coach, the berating and physical demands seemed to border on abuse. Director Skye Borgman takes a variety of issues  via interviews with former contestants, producers, the doctor and coach  of  “The Biggest Loser” in this three-episode limited series, “Fit for TV: The Reality of ‘The Biggest Loser.'”.

Now I know a thing about weight. It is very easy to be seduced into eating more than I should because I’m am smaller than the average person in the US or Japan. I’ve been overweight and I’ve been underweight. I know my temptations and I avoid them.

In that respect, there was a bit of sadism in the series in which the producers tried tempting people with donuts and cookies, giving them challenges that surrounds them with a buffet of bad choices.  Yet from the beginning, Borgman shows there were always conceptual problems, including ones that troubled the medical advisors like Robert Huizenga and Jennifer Kerns.

I was involved in a weight conscious sport for a few years. And I’ve managed to still be about the same size as I was in high school (granted that I haven’t had kids so that helps). I don’t believe everything is fat-phobia, like larger sizes being more expensive.

Yet the producers of “The Greatest Loser” definitely tried to capitalize on fat phobia. Some of the archival footage is shocking. There were casual acts of cruelty that left contestants collapsing and vomiting. Why didn’t the trainers know better, I wondered. Yet I didn’t know that trainer Bob Harper had been a fitness trainer for celebrities and others who had lots of leisure  time and were already in shape. Jullian Michaels declined to participate. Considering her recent comments, that might be a good thing. We aren’t distracted by outside politics.

What’s most impactful is seeing the winners and how they looked at the beginning of their season, how they looked after and how they looked now. The winners interviewed included Season 1 winner Ryan Benson, Season 8 winner Danny Cahill, Season 11 winner Olivia Ward and her runner-up Hannah Young. Series co-creator and executive producer David Broome and producer J.D. Roth were included. Social commentary is also provided by author and podcaster Aubrey Gordon. Despite the three-part presentation, the docuseries doesn’t feel padded and there’s a lot to digest. Before watching reality TV, one should consider if the aims are really positive or negative and whether shows promote  better understanding or are emotionally and physically harmful. “The Biggest Loser” was a toxic combination of desperate contestants who, having already made a lifetime of unhealthy choices, are coerced into making possibly life-threatening choices to win.

“Fit for TV: The Reality of ‘The Biggest Loser'” was released on Netflix on 15 August 2025.