There’s been some controversy recently at the California ranch where NBC films their hit weight-loss show The Biggest Loser.  TMZ reported Wednesday that nearly all of the remaining contestants on the show walked out because producers were considering bringing in the eliminated contestants and giving them another chance to earn the $250,000 grand prize.

When I read this, I became infuriated.  Here’s the deal:  I weigh roughly 350 pounds.   I’ve dealt with weight issues my entire life.  I, along with thousands of people across the country, would absolutely LOVE a chance to be on The Biggest Loser and learn from two of the best trainers in the world, Bob Harper and Dolvett Quince.  The fact that these contestants reportedly walked off the show made me incredibly angry because they obviously have a misguided view as to why they are on the show in the first place.

The goal of the show is simple:  helping people lose weight and gain their lives back.  In many cases, this show has cured contestants of diseases that could have killed them.  The $250,000 grand prize, as well as the $100,000 “at-home” prize for eliminated contestants, are incentives.  The prizes are a bonus, not a goal.

Anyone who has watched this show in the past knows that bringing eliminated contestants back is nothing new.  Last season, every eliminated contestant had a chance to earn their way to the finals by competing in a marathon.  Even this season, the first eliminated team had a chance to, and succeeded in, getting back to the ranch by losing a certain amount of weight at home.  The contestants who walked off should have known this was a possibility.

If you haven’t seen this season of the show, there has been a lot of drama from the beginning.  It seems that from the start, the contestants cared more about “playing the game” and winning a prize, than their own health.  I won’t go into specific details but you can watch every episode up to this point on NBC.com or Hulu.com.

TMZ reported Thursday that two of the contestants have been removed from the show for good.  I don’t know if that means the others who walked off are back or are just staying away on their own, but producers are continuing with filming.  I say good riddance to those players.  If they don’t want to be on the show, send them home and give their spots to either the eliminated players who want to be there or give the spots to someone who didn’t get a chance to be on the show in the first place.

At the end of the day, this show is meant to be inspiring.  It’s meant to be about positivity.  This season has done neither of those things.  Hopefully with these contestants gone, the show can salvage the positive message it provides to help people get healthy and stick around for a long time.

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