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Fit for TV trailer
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Netflix's new documentary Fit For TV: The Reality Of The Biggest Loser has caused quite a stir since its release, prompting big questions about just why a show promoting toxic weight loss advice was ever allowed to air.
The Biggest Loser aired from 18 seasons from 2004 to 2020, and the new documentary speaks with former contestants, trainers, and health professionals about just why it was so controversial.
The premise was simple: What's been described in the show as "overweight and unhappy" people, signed up to not only get professional help with dropping the pounds, but were also competing for a $250,000 prize for being the biggest loser.
However, while it changed the lives of some; it wasn't without its problems.
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Most notably, a number of allegations surfaced against the trainers and producers involved, including the use of caffeine pills to promote the dieters to work harder, when they were only consuming a very limited number of calories each day.
One trainer, Jillian Michaels, who was accused of administering the pills claims the only breach of contract she made was that she handed them to the contestants herself, and that the pills weren't banned from the show.
There was also concern about the extreme methods The Biggest Loser used to help people lose weight - and just how much weight they lost - including the case of season 15 winner, Rachel Frederickson, who weighed just 105 pounds (7.5 stone) by the finale, having started at 260 pounds (18.5 stone).
Since the documentary aired, cracks have also begun to show between the show's familiar faces, including Jillian Michaels, and fellow trainer, Bob Harper.
Why are Jillian Michael and Bob Harper no longer friends?
During The Biggest Loser's hay day, while rival coaches, Jillian and Bob appeared to have a close bond.
However, things have gone nuclear since Bob revealed in the show that he no longer speaks to Jillian.
The trainer recalled the 2017 heart attack that "left him dead on the gym floor for nine minutes" - and claims that in the aftermath, he heard from "almost everyone" dropping hints that something wasn't quite right.
"How do I put this? People were always like 'You and Jillian have been so close', and I was like 'Well, we were really close on television'," he confirms in Fit For TV.
But, Jillian isn't willing to have her named dragged through the mud - and has since responded with a scathing Instagram post.
"The last image is my second to last text ever to Bob Harper. Take from it what you will", she wrote alongside a screenshot of a text exchange.
The message from June 2014 read: "I really think it's s****y of you not to respond to my texts. It's this kind of thing that always makes me so disappointed in our relationship."
It's not known what prompted their rift.
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