I watched some of the episodes, I think three years ago or so. I find it a very dangerous program. It sends a very misleading message - all fatties are overeating, lazy, and are paying for their own mistakes. They select the people appropriately, so there are no serious medical issues like thyroid, genetic dysfunctions... they don't talk about hormones or enzymes and the complexity of humans' bodies.
They sell an illusion that as long as you try to kill yourself on chronic cardio, lift a few heavy weights, and eat only salads and low-fat foods, you will be ok. I've read an article that most of the "losers" yoyo back to their weight, can't do it on their own, lack the radical and extreme rigor. After getting back to work, family, stress, issues, they can't keep it up. It's great they show that soda are bad and pure sugar... but they also show meat and BBQ as equal evil.
It perpetuates the old theory that connects obesity with mental illness, seeing the sources of it in lack of will power, laziness, cheating, overeating, lying about food etc. It also patronizes and disrespects the participants. They treat them like brain damaged children who have to be yelled at suffer for the guilt of being fat.
The trainers live from the DVDs (and now also supplements promising weight loss), so they see the most important part of weight loss in exercise, which we know is not true. This is all about money, not health.
