Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper by Dave Bjerke/NBC Photo
Are Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels raving about the decision to let viewers vote this week on who The Biggest Loser's third finalist should be? Fat chance. Michaels, for one, is "disappointed' with the change in format. "Biggest Loser is not a popularity contest. It's so much more than that," she said in a Friday conference call. "I don't get it, personally."Like Michaels, Harper fears that fans don't have enough information to adequately weigh in on so pivotal a decision, since fans have not seen firsthand as much of each player's progress as they have. "It's really a tricky thing," says Harper. "[The viewers] get all they've seen on the show, but it's still much more than that."To that end, exec producer Mark Koops says this week's episode will recap each player's journey and afford each a chance to appeal to the audience. "It's incredibly powerful," he says. "I personally think it's going to be well received." What's your take? Is this an instance where reality viewers should be...
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The Battle of the Bulge will become a Battle of the Sexes on The Biggest Loser 2.
When NBC's hit weight-loss competition returns on August 9, chubby contestants will be divided into two seven-member teams with fitness guru Bob Harper training the women and Jillian Michaels working with the men.
The male-vs.-female gimmick fit The Apprentice, but on this reality show, it's a twist that some fear will give the guys an unfair advantage. "There's this myth out there that men lose weight faster and better than women," says executive producer Dave Broome. "We're going to test that myth."
Actually, it's not a myth. It's a fact. Thanks to years of research, weight-loss experts know that most male bodies burn more calories than female bodies because men have more lean muscle mass. "Lean muscle tissue is the driving force for metabolism," explains Dr. James M. Rippe, author of Weight Watchers Weight Loss That Lasts. "So me
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