You're right, I wouldn't find someone dying "entertaining", just like I didn't find Tracey's ending up in the hospital due to almost having a heart attack "entertaining".

What I did see it as was a great wake-up call to the thousands (millions? I don't know) of morbidly obese or super morbidly obese viewers. I know that for me, my gut reaction was, "I was bigger than her. That could have been me. Thank God I had my WLS." I hope that at least one or two people out there used her situation as a way to motivate themselves and to seek help, either through diet or exercise or having WLS.

The show to me is inspirational. I don't get off on watching them almost pass out or puke in the gym.

I "get off" (for lack of a better term) on their testimonials that run throughout the show. I love hearing what has happened to them in their lives - deaths in the family, accidents, emotional problems, etc. - things that I can relate to and say, "Yeah, I get it. I used to be you."

I honestly feel for these people as I watch them struggle and then find it deep within themselves to continue in front of the people watching their journeys.

Are they doing it the healthy way? Yes and no, that's honestly debatable. I truly believe there are people on that show that diet and exercise without going to the extreme. For example, Coach Mo and Amanda from this past season didn't abuse themselves in any way. They dieted, exercised and lost an amount of weight that wouldn't be considered excessive by any means.

But then you have Tracey who looked God-awful at the finale, but she was nuts to begin with. She would have sacrificed her own children to win, I honestly believe that.

This next season will be hard for me to watch - I already know that. But I'm going to watch and I'm going to keep an open mind and an open heart. I am going to cry along with these people and I am going to cheer them on, too. For most of these people - and I have read interviews - it isn't about winning - it's about changing their lives and starting their journey on the show. In no way, shape or form should these people rely on the show to get them down to 130 lbs. That's just not realistic. 

But I know that I was almost 400 lbs when I had my RNY, and you know, I cried when I lost five lbs. I cried again when I hit 20 lbs lost. And again at 75 lbs. If I had only lost that first 5 lbs and kept it off, I would have been happy not losing anything else. I would have been motivated, and that's what these people need that are going to be on the show this next season.

They need a huge kick in the ass to get them going. They need someone - why not Bob and Jillian and knowing that "America is watching"? - to believe in them so they can believe in themselves.

If you would have watched the show for more than 4 1/2 minutes, you would have seen how easy they went on Shay, who was, what...well over 400 lbs I think? Jillian babied her compared to what she put the lighter contestants through, and that was all Shay needed. She needed a push and some mild to moderate exercise, and that's what she got - and she went home and lost even more weight! Fantastic!

There will always be a "dark side" of  The Biggest Loser, as long as there is a quarter-million dollar prize that people are playing for.

The money line in that link was the quote about how you have people who happen to be severely obese (as required to be on the show) and are using that to take a get-rich-quick opportunity.

I have no problem with the show using someone who is 500 pounds, as long as they put them through an appropriate exercise regimen, say, like, working out on the reclining bike, and not climbing up and down a mountain in the first episode.

I love The Biggest Loser, for its premise, and the good intentions behind it, and for its human interest and people stories. The participants really are amazing and inspirational, and like a lot of us, are kind, good souls who would, no doubt, get little in the way of positive strokes or attention otherwise, and everyone deserves some of that, especially if they've earned it, as these contestants do. These are people that we, and no one, would ever know otherwise, and aren't we glad we do, now?

But, honestly?

The workouts these people are put through do not appear to be anything that people that obese should be doing, and that holds true until, oh, about halfway though the show.

The show NEEDS to be careful and safe, and it needs to remember, these people are not Bob or Jillian. They should not be working out as they would, or the show could end up with more real-life drama than it wants.