Jillian Michaels

Jillian Michaels often catches heat for her harsh tactics and boot camp-style attitude as a trainer on NBC's The Biggest Loser, but the AP reports that Michaels insists it's the only way to get the "half-dead" contestants to shed the pounds.

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 read more