I'm Rebecca Levoy, and this is You Can't Make This Up.

You Can't Make This Up is the podcast where we uncover the true stories behind your favorite Netflix documentaries and films.

On today's episode, we take a closer look at the Netflix documentary series, Fit for

TV, the reality of the biggest loser.

You can't have a show based on weight loss. That's safe.

Today we're talking to executive producer Mike Gasparo and director Sky Borgman.

NBC struck ratings gold when it premiered a new kind of reality show,

one in which obese contestants competed to lose the most amount of weight.

Known for its hard-driving trainers, heartwarming stories, and jaw-dropping transformations,

the biggest loser became an inspirational phenomenon.

But behind the scenes, there was conflict about whether the extreme measures risk damaging the player's physical and mental health.

In the Netflix series, Fit for TV, the reality of The Biggest Loser, former contestants, producers, and stars of the show

talk about what went into making the revolutionary weight loss competition.

It reveals the tensions between medical staff and showrunners about the length's players

were pushed to.

It also explores the biggest loser's legacy and the long-term effects on those who played

the game.

Achieving a dramatic weight loss transformation was so valuable to people that they were willing to do

anything that they had to, to achieve it. And I'm joined now by director Sky Borgman and executive producer Mike Espera.

Welcome back to You Can't Make This Up.

Thank you. It's great to be here.

Sky, the biggest loser confronted the issue of obesity, not just causes and treatments,

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