The Biggest Loser series has run on US television for over 17 seasons and it has made us all wonder one thing about Biggest Loser contestants: where are they now?
The show has recently been marred by the ‘drugging controversy’ when some of the past Biggest Loser contestants claimed they were drugged to lose weight. The controversy has not only hit the show’s ratings but has had former contestants call for it being pulled off television. Some of the former Biggest Loser contestants have also claimed that they were starved and told to lie about how many calories they were taking. Doctors and trainers of the show have been accused of malpractice, while producers have denied the allegations. Other contestants have come forward on Facebook to express their support for the show and called for it to continue. If you want a simpler method to ensure you lose weight, you should head on over to the 7 Most Popular Diet Pills that Work Fast Without Exercise.
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Ironically, a study involving contestants from the eighth season of the show has shown that 13 of the 14 Biggest Loser contestants regained their former weight, four of which now weigh more than what they had weighed before appearing on the show. This is because the methodology of weight loss as applied by the show has a toll on the metabolism meaning that the contestants burn fewer calories than a normal person for the same amount of activity and gain more weight consuming a lower amount of calories than before. Some contestants like the 2014 winner Rachel Fredrickson have been criticized for looking anorexic in her finale appearance and has also made people think of where in life the contestants who lost so much of weight stand today.
If you are wondering about Biggest Loser contestants: where are they now, read the following text. To choose these 7 contestants, we looked at the winners of the 17 seasons of the show and looked at what they were doing currently. We have looked at several articles regarding controversies around the show and experiences of former contestants to find out more about the contestants that won the $250,000 prize. Interviews with former contestants and articles from websites like the Guardian, People, New York Post and New York Times have been used to prepare this list. The list is prepared in a manner that reflects how different people have dealt with the Biggest Loser fame and what they have transformed themselves into. The list of answers to the questions – Biggest Loser contestants: where are they now, includes vehement supporters, harshest critics as well as those who lie somewhere in the middle.
7. Ali Vincent
Ali Vincent was the first female winner of the show. She won in season 5 and since then, has gained a lot of weight. She started with 234 lbs, and ended at 122 lbs, losing an amazing 112 lbs and winning the title. However, the success did not last for long as she soon started regaining her old weight and now weighs over 200 lbs. Regaining weight made her feel like a failure but she now claims to feel proud of herself and has accepted her body, ignoring the public ridicule and shame. We bet you wouldn’t have expected one of the contestants to be like Vincent. Way to go Ali!
6. Ryan Benson
Ryan Benson, the next in the row of answers to the question – Biggest Loser contestants: where are they now, the original winner of the first season of the Biggest Loser lost a whopping 122 lbs during the show. However, like Vincent, his ‘loss’ was also short-lived as he regained around 32 pounds within five days of leaving the show by just drinking water! The weight loss hasn’t stayed with him since and he soon regained his weight. He started the show with 330 pounds, and now weighs around 300 pounds according to the most recent reports. Ryan is now an actor and works for a DVD distributor in Los Angeles according to the Time Magazine.
5. Erik Chopin
We are continuing our list of answers to the question – Biggest Loser contestants: where are they now, with Chopin that has to be one of the most prolific Biggest Loser contestants. His journey has been one the most interesting among the show’s contestants. Entering the show at 407 pounds, he lost 214 pounds as a contestant on the show, breaking all previous records. Appearing in the third season, he held the record until season 8 when Danny Cahill (more on him later in the list) lost 239 pounds. Like many other contestants, his weight loss did not last for long and soon after leaving the show he weighed 368 pounds. He, along with his family, then appeared in a Discovery Health Channel documentary to discuss his weight gain. Interestingly, the documentary inspired him to start dieting again and he now stands at around 245 pounds today. Chopin has appeared on many TV shows including The Oprah Winfrey Show and Larry King Live and also cameos as a life coach and a motivational speaker.
4. Danny Cahill
In the course of just seven months, Danny lost 239 pounds (55.6% of his body weight). He broke all previous records of weight loss on the show including that of the season 3 winner Erik Chopin. Weighing 191 pounds at the end of the show, Cahill has since regained more than 100 pounds. Despite trying different diets and exercises, he has only been able to come to reach the 235 pound mark, soon rebounding to around 300 .This is because of his metabolism slowing down after the end of the show. Cahill claimed to have blamed himself for regaining his lost weight but after the study showing 13 out of 14 contestants regaining their previous weight, he feels the shame on his shoulders “went off”. Cahill is now eating 800 less calories a day compared to a typical man his size.
3. Patrick House
Patrick House is perhaps the biggest success story from the Biggest Loser and it’s not just because he lost 181 lbs during his stint in the show, but because House is among the few contestants who have managed to stay in immaculate shape even after the end of the show. While he has gained a few pounds since he became the Biggest Loser in the tenth season, he does not blame the gained weight on the show itself like many other contestants. Interestingly, he has also denied drugs being used and the show’s methodology having a slowing effect on his metabolism. In fact, he feels that the show potentially saved his life because losing so much of weight could not have been possible otherwise. Since his win at the show, he has run multiple marathons and is fully committed to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. House even released a book in 2012 titled: “As Big as a House: How One Biggest Loser Winner Took a Look at Himself and Made the Change of a Lifetime”.
2. Olivia Ward
Olivia Ward, the biggest loser of the eleventh season is another contestant who is still committed to the healthy lifestyle. Although not as heavy as some of the other contestants, she lost around 49.4% of her initial body weight of 261 pounds. Interestingly, her sister and partner for the show Hannah Curlee turned out to be the runner-up for the season. Together they run a website MyFitspiration which is a personal and fitness blog. Ward is not only keeping weight but has also achieved a feat that could have been impossible without losing all the weight. Her medical condition called polycystic ovarian syndrome meant she couldn’t conceive a baby because of her weight. Now, she not only appears on television as a fitness enthusiast but also is a mother of one with her long-time husband Ben Ward. And now let’s see the answer number one on the question – Biggest Loser contestants: where are they now?
1. Kai Hibbard
Although not winning the Biggest Loser, Kai Hibbard, the runner-up for season 3 makes our list ‘7 Biggest Loser Contestants: where are they now?’ for her vociferous opposition to the methods used in the show. Although she lost 118 lbs while contesting, Hibbard claims her joining the show ‘the biggest mistake’ of her life. She laments producers of the show for promoting tactics like dehydration to make individuals feel lighter than they actually are as well as manipulation to improve ratings of the show. She has accused the show of promoting unhealthy habits, fat-shaming and bullying. Hibbard, despite not regaining much of her previous weight, feels that the show should stop as it promotes more negativity than positivity. Hibbard has been involved in fitness activism since 2007 and has been at the forefront of former contestants demanding NBC cancel the show.
