Article:here,losing is winning

T he battle of the bulge is an issue that concerns many. We're insensitive when it comes to overweight people. Our you-go-girl, underdog-loving cul- ture tells us to support them. Yet our obsession with willpower and persistence limits our patience with people who can't trim the fat. This ambivalence is showcased in Sahara One's Biggest Loser Jeetega, in which two teams of eight participants each, try to out- wit and outsmart each other and lose weight to win. Team play Each week, the weighing scale shows which team has dropped the most kilos, and the losing group must send someone packing. Sunil Shetty brings a fresh and spontaneous approach as the host. His humour is not one that makes fun of the contestants and his advice is based on years of being a fitness freak. Situated amidst the pure envi- rons of Aamby Valley City, it also focusses on the value of setting goals and working as a team. Real people Rarely has reality TV seen such a fun-loving, supportive group of folks. The participants are a refreshing change from the wannabes who tend to populate reality television. It remains to be seen if the team spirit continues to be high as the competition comes to its end. Moods and sentiments may change when the prize money dan- gles large over their heads. The person who loses the most weight wins a cash prize of one lakh per kilo lost. The eliminated contestants can return as the wild card entry With . Shetty's presence, many film stars are sure to make an entry to boost the contestant's confidence and create the necessary spikes for the show. Although Biggest Loser.. lacks some of the sexiness and drama of reality shows like Bigg Boss, there are still plenty of times when the going gets tough. When teams lose tasks, they argue fiercely over who caused the loss or didn't work hard enough. The struggle with fat is more than aesthetic; it has to do with strength and safety There will be . times when they are tempted by high-calorie foods and get fed up by the strenuous daily workouts. Testing limits What little action there is - exer- cise routines, a weekly weigh-in and tasks that, for obvious rea- sons, lack athleticism – but the determination of each contestant is worth a watch. Care should be taken that tasks shouldn't be manipulative since it will under- mine the purpose of the show. All reality shows are a mind game but in this case, no point in having tasks that have no goal but give plenty of scope to ridicule or punish them. Also, the competi- tive weight-loss angle could poten- tially encourage impressionable viewers to slim down quickly without a doctor's supervision. It would be easy for the show's producers to hype the vanity angle of weight loss. One is constantly reminded that the point of losing weight isn't to look like a super- model, but rather to live longer and healthier lives. As Shetty says, "The premise behind the show is to teach weight-challenged participants how to eat healthy and exercise in order to achieve a radical physical makeover without any kind of surgery ." So, on Biggest Loser Jeetega, quitters never win and the win- ners are actually losers.