The Biggest Loser’s longtime doctor is opening up about his concerns with the hit reality competition.
Dr. Robert Huizenga, who regularly appeared on the NBC series, is featured in the new Netflix docuseries Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser. The three-part series, which premiered on Friday (August 15), takes a closer look at the show’s legacy, controversies and behind-the-scenes decisions.
“The Biggest Loser was totally sculpted after my experience with the Raiders and the only question was is it possible for an overweight, sedentary person to work out, not with the ability of a professional athlete, but with the intensity of a professional athlete?” Dr. Huizenga explained.
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He said that while the series often had strong results, the methods behind the scenes sometimes troubled him.
“We had a 99.9% success [rate] in losing weight. That was really an incredible discovery,” Dr. Huizenga recalled. “But as the show really got popular, some things were being done that I really, I really took issue with.”
“It was scary because from season 1, you have women — 200 lbs., men — 300, and it just went up, straight line up. And with that, the ability to exercise, a straight line down. So when they do a physical challenge that puts people in harm’s way, that’s where I have to step in,” he added.
The doctor admitted that he wasn’t always aware of what contestants were being asked to do.
“There were times, unfortunately though, that challenges were done that I didn’t see or hear about, which was the main hang-up to making it a much safer environment,” he said.
He also referenced tensions with the show’s trainers, Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels.
“Every season, I pretty much said I was going to quit unless I got to talk to the trainers,” he revealed.
“So they would force them to come in and I’d give my little half an hour speech and maybe some things changed, not as much as I would like.”
NBC has not yet responded to the claims made in Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser. The series is streaming now on Netflix. See who lost the most weight on the show.
