Jillian Michaels of Biggest Loser Tackles Two Big Fat Lawsuits

I admit it: I'm addicted to the "Biggest Loser." Combined with a bowl of air-popped popcorn and a diet Coke, the "Biggest Loser" is often better (and cheaper!) than the average movie these days.

Why do I love the "Biggest Loser" so much? Let me count the ways:

1. It's inspirational. You see people who are consumed by food, who drown their sorrows in it, celebrate their joys with it, and (literally) stuff down their feelings with it. Through the show, through the power of perseverance, they change their lives in every way: emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

2. It's captivating. And the two celebrity fitness trainers, Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper, play enormous roles in keeping us tuned in and turned on. Jillian is almost like a door-to-door saleswoman from the "Avon Calling" days, with her determination to sell the powers on the fact that they CAN overcome their past and change their views and their bodies with hard work.

3. It's educational. You'll get new ideas for how to prepare healthy meals, how to handle eating out, and how to mix and match exercise to get the most bounce for the ounce.

Recently, however, Jillian Michaels appears to have decided that it's not enough to star on the show. She wants a bigger piece of the world. In some ways, she seems like a fitness trainer version of Donald Trump, creating an empire out of weight loss and fitness gadgets and gear.

And, just like Donald Trump, Jillian has had some Close Encounters of the Lawsuit kind. Two, to be exact, both related to her dietary supplement products. TMZ reports that documents filed in L.A. County Superior Court describe the Jillian Michaels Maximum Strength Calorie Control dietary supplement as "worthless." The lawsuit reportedly is seeking an injunction preventing the product from being sold, as well as damages.

A similar class action lawsuit says that a consumer bought a calorie control product based on Jillian's endorsement. After a big fat zero showing up on her scale, she too is suing.

Not surprisingly, Jillian and her team will be putting on their boxing gloves to battle the lawsuits, and they reportedly are confident that they'll win. Stay tuned for a different version of the Battle of the Bulge!