14 DAY TRIAL // People were at first shocked, then outraged when Rachel Frederickson emerged as this year's Biggest Loser winner with a gaunt figure, as she had lost an additional 35 pounds (20kg) after she left the ranch. They aimed some of that outrage at the show's producers for failing to control the contestants.
Now, the issue is being addressed. According to E online, the show is going to receive some tweaks so that the next winner doesn't look so rail-thin when he or she comes out to be crowned. These tweaks include more support and check-ins for contestants after they shoot the final episode.
The National Institute of Health revealed that with her additional weight loss, Rachel went below the healthy body mass index and thus put her health in danger.
“There might be more focus on what happens to the winner after they are supposedly done with the show,” an insider with the show told the media.
The reason why this particular case was overlooked is because, usually, contestants actually gained weight after leaving the ranch, returning to their unhealthy life style and/or eating habits. Rachel was the first to lose even more weight after she left the careful supervision of her trainers.
All the rumors point now towards a limit being enforced on just how much weight the contestants can lose until the official ceremony, in order to avoid further negative media, as well as raising health issues for those involved.
Even the trainers were shocked when Frederickson appeared on the ceremony episode, claiming that this was a first for everyone involved with The Biggest Loser.
NBC hasn't made any official comment on the issue, but it does warn its viewers that some of the training methods and the diets aren't for everyone out there, and that they are to be conducted only under specialized supervision.