The Biggest Loser (NBC)

In THE BIGGEST LOSER, two teams of extremely overweight contestants compete to see who can lose the most weight in 100 days. The prize? Better health and $250,000. Each episode of Biggest Loser follows the 14 contestants as they learn to eat better, exercise, and maintain healthy habits in their efforts to peel off the pounds. All of the contestants have their own reasons for wanting to win the prize. Some come from obese families and want to stop the cycle for their kids; others were once thin and active and want to regain their fitter form. All of them end up on one of two teams (red and blue), where they work with trainers. Over the course of the competition, the competitors work out, eat right, and participate in a series of challenges. Their goal is to make sure that their team has lost the highest percentage of weight at the weekly weigh-in, since the losing team has to vote one member out.

Although Biggest Loser lacks some of the sexiness and drama of reality shows like Survivor (to which it bears the most structural resemblance) and The Bachelor, the contestants' constant togetherness (they live, eat, and work out together) means that there are still plenty of times when the going gets tough. When teams lose challenges, they'll often argue fiercely over who caused the loss or didn't work hard enough. Plus, they're constantly tempted by high-calorie foods and are often nauseated by the strenuous daily workouts.

It would be easy for the show's producers to hype the vanity angle of weight loss. But what's nice about The Biggest Loser is that the contestants -- and, therefore, the viewers -- are constantly reminded that the point of losing weight isn't to look like a supermodel, but rather to live longer, healthier lives. The coaches, while tough, are extremely encouraging and sensitive, and the host acts as both a cheerleader and a sensitive mother hen. Though The Biggest Loser is technically a dogged competition, it's also feel-good fare with a message that everyone can benefit from: Eat right and exercise to be healthy, and the weight should take care of itself.