Why You Should Watch The Biggest Loser

"Sweetie while you're up could you grab me a piece of that Oreo Pie?" Sounds good doesn't it? Let me assure you that piece of pie was absolutely wonderful. What made the pie even better was the fact that while I ate it, I was watching NBC's "The Biggest Loser," a highly entertaining show about 14 contestants competing to see who can lose the most weight. Of course as a reality show, weight loss many times takes a back seat to the numerous dramatic situations.

As someone who despises most reality television it's amazing I sat through the marathon-like two hour season opener, along with the equally impressive in length, second episode. The fact is I couldn't turn away, I didn't even channel surf during commercials. Of course I had Oreo Pie on my fingers, and I didn't want to dirty my remote control, but I digress. This show is extremely entertaining as well as informative.

Admittedly "The Biggest Loser," is designed to garner the highest Nielson rating possible, nonetheless this show is helping to curb the foremost threat presently facing the United States. Obesity. As Ethan Hays noted in his healthline.com article, "At the opening of the International Congress on Obesity on Sunday, obesity was called a "pandemic", with the chairman, Paul Zimmet, calling it "as big a threat as global warming and bird flu". Zimmet went on to note, "there are now more overweight people in the world than undernourished."

You're probably wondering if I work for NBC or if Jamba Juice is paying me to promote healthy choices, I'm not. I'm someone who's father and mother is overweight, and who's only remaining uncle on his father's side recently developed serious heart problems due to his weight. While I'm not overweight myself, some of those I care most about in this world are. If you think because you're skinny obesity won't affect you, you're mistaken.

Said Dr. Philip James, the British Chairman of the International Obesity Task Force: "We are not dealing with a scientific or medical problem. We're dealing with an enormous economic problem that, it is already accepted, is going to overwhelm every medical system in the world."

While it doesn't help the general population to know that Tiffany was voted off by her teammates last night, it might help obese viewers to know they have "online access to the diet & fitness program used by the contestants - personalized to fit your goals and lifestyle," at www.biggestloserclub.com.

If I haven't convinced you that NBC really cares about obesity in America, I'm glad, the health and diet industry is the most profitable in the nation. I'm NBC pretends to care in order to rake in the advertising dollars from health food products and exercise equipment, but it would be irresponsible to ignore the positive side effects a show like "The Biggest Loser" can have.

Watch NBC's "The Biggest Loser," for its emotional outbursts, or watch it for its educational value, either way watch it. Well, I gotta go, I got a piece of Oreo Pie with my name on it.