New Season of "The Biggest Loser" Highlights Childhood Obesity

I picked a good night to watch “The Biggest Loser” TV show.

Yes, the show – now in its 14th season – still centers around obese adults competing for the most pounds lost.

But this season, viewers met three participants unlike any others before – that’s because they’re children.

Whether you like the show or not, it has definitely raised awareness about obesity – an urgent health issue for the majority of adult Americans.

Now it’s tackling another emerging health crisis: childhood obesity. Approximately 17 percent of all children and adolescents in the United States are affected by obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s triple the rate from just one generation ago.

The Biggest Loser has discussed helping children before. The trainers on the show tell the contestants that when they go home from the ranch they need to share their new healthy eating habits and exercise routines with their families. But the show has never featured children as it is doing now.

All three children are considered ambassadors on the show. Instead of staying at the ranch under the constant watch of TV cameras, they work out at home. And, most importantly, they can’t be eliminated.

Viewers heard firsthand from the children on what it’s like to grow up overweight and suffer ridicule at school.

All 13-year-old “Bingo” wants is to be able to play baseball. The teen said it hurts to know that he can’t run as fast as the other kids or throw a ball the way his peers do.

“My weight is just holding me back so much,” he said.

One of the show’s goals is to make exercise fun for the kids. A simple game of baseball had them running bases while working up a good sweat.

Celebrity personal trainer and new mom Jillian Michaels said she’s excited to see the show focus on children. Growing up, she struggled with her weight, enduring bullying from her peers.

“I feel strongly that we’re going to have a powerful impact,” Michaels said.

Alice Warchol is a freelance health blog writer and fitness instructor.

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