"The Biggest Loser"

The last three evenings I have been feeling bereft: "The Biggest Loser" is no longer on telly! Now, my feelings of loss may come as a surprise to those who know me personally. Usually I'm more of an opera, symphony orchestra, art gallery type, not really one who would addictively watch reality TV. Nonetheless I love TBL. I'm really looking forward to the grand finale tonight.

So, what on earth do I see in it?

Firstly it's fascinating watching people interact in the hothouse environment of "the white house", but the focus of the show means that we are spared much of the minutia and crassness of other reality TV programs. This season I particularly enjoyed seeing how much of a difference it makes when people exercise a reasonable level of maturity, kindness and loyalty. While the red team imploded in a sea of nastiness and back biting, the blue team powered on: the finalists competing tonight are all blue team members.

I also love a good story of transformation, and that's what TBL is all about. Everyone goes in morbidly obese, and most come out the other side looking slim and glamorous. Of course there's an awful lot of hyperbole around this: talk of changing lives forever and people being able to do anything that they want now that they've lost weight.

Losing lots of weight does change a person's health and general outlook massively. I know this from personal experience, having once been a rather hefty penguin who lost over 30 kilos and kept it off. However, the loss hasn't changed my life forever - I will still grow old and eventually die, even if I do keep the weight off. Nor have I found myself able to do anything that I put my mind to as I result of losing weight.

We all need something more than what TBL can offer. Weight loss brings some benefits for a while, but it's only in Christ that we can have life to the fullest, life which goes on beyond death (John 5:24; John 10:10).



PS Who do I think is going to win? I reckon it'll be between Sam and Kirsten, though Sam definitely has the physiological advantage of being young and male.

Who do I want to win? Alison, because she's the dark horse and is just so darn nice.