5 Outrageous Weight Loss Reality Shows on Television

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Do you need some encouragement into losing weight or are you looking for a reason to laugh? Here are five of the most outrageous weight loss reality shows currently on or have graced the small screen.

1.    'Fit to Fat to Fit'

Health says the premise for this show is based on Drew Manning's personal experience. The personal trainer/author gained and lost 75 pounds, a process detailed in his book "Fit2Fat2Fit".

The show invites 10 trainers to gain as much weight as they can for a period of four months. Each trainer is then paired with a client and the overweight duo try to get back into shape together.

Viewers feel that the show glorifies the concept of yo-yo dieting. Cleveland Clinic endocrinologist Dr. Bartolome Burguera believes this abrupt weight gain raises the likelihood of developing chronic illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes.

2.    "Supersize Vs. Superskinny"

Each week, the Discovery Channel TLC series introduces two individuals from two extreme ends of the spectrum - one morbidly obese while the other is dangerously underweight. The two swap diets in an attempt to change their current relationship with food.

Sabotage Times says the food swap is risky and can increase their chances of developing heart failure or death. Plus, the program is simply replacing one unhealthy diet with another.  

3.    "Biggest Loser"

This hit reality television show pits several obese people against each other. Up for grabs is $100,000.

What makes the show both fascinating for viewers yet dangerous is how they make contestants lose hundreds of pounds in just a short amount of time. A recent article on the New York Post details some of the dark secrets of the show, including exercising for five to eight hours a day and restricting caloric intake to less than 1000.

4.    "Dance Your Ass Off"

"Dance Your Ass Off" is essentially what you would get if you combined "The Biggest Loser" with "Dancing With The Stars", two premises that are doing well with younger viewers, according to CNN reports. Each week, contestants perform in front of an audience with judges scrutinizing their dance moves then step on a scale to see how much they lost over the past week.

The Sydney Morning Herald says the show was axed after its season premiere due to poor ratings.

5.    "Celebrity Fit Club"

From the same channel that produced "Behind The Music" and "VH1 Rock Docs" comes "Celebrity Fit Club", a show which features long forgotten celebrities who have gotten out of shape. BlissTree refers to the show as a "train wreck" waiting to happen.

Like many other shows on the VH1 channel, each episode offers audiences a chance to see the antics of D-listers.

Season 7 saw the likes of Kevin Federline and his new ex-fiancee Shar Jackson in the same show. Federline broke up with Jackson to be with Britney Spears, Star Pulse says.