Losing to win

MANILA, Philippines - On its sixth season, Hallmark’s The Biggest Loser: Families takes eight pairs through a grueling weight loss boot camp that not only tests the participants’ intestinal fortitude but also their emotional quotient.

The teams are separated in two groups, each with their own half of the Biggest Loser gym and it’s up to Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels to make sure that during the weigh-in at the end of the day, their teams end up pounds lighter than their previous visits.

Early on the season premiere, the four married couples (Harper’s team) and four parent-child pairs (Michaels’ team) give their take on what they’re up against. It’s not just each pair going up against the rest but it’s also about the internal struggles each individual has to face if he or she wishes to end up as the biggest loser. The question whether blood is thicker than water is established right from the start.

It’s entertaining to see how the teams are first introduced, each was visited by Harper and Michaels. Tom and Little Tom belong to a family that are all overweight and to make matters worse, the latter even has a smoking habit. Jerry is a police officer and his daughter Coleen says that she fears for her father’s health, made more apparent during the treadmill exercises. Couples Ed and Heba are looking to have kids but they both agree that they could not with the shape they are in while Adam and Stacey are not just married but they are also officemates who have both been overweight all their lives.

Watching these participants go through the rigors that the Harper and Michaels put them through is enough to give everyone a different perspective on how difficult it is to be obese — much more if you’re an obese person who really wants to get back in shape. With the show, viewers can use the guidelines for their own. Of course, it is always advised that physicians are consulted first.

The Biggest Loser Season Six airs Tuesday nights at 9 and is hosted by Alison Sweeney.