Analyzing Jillian Michaels's 'The Biggest Loser'

People tend to gain weight because they want to fill an emotional void. For many, this void get filled with food. Like a chasm, the void represents a deep hole that feels inescapable. Most people feel so insecure and weak, that the idea of losing weight seems insurmountable. Jillian Michaels, the trainer from The Biggest Loser, helps people overcome emotional obstacles that manifest themselves in their physical beings. Born in Los Angeles California, and raised in Santa Monica, Jillian carried around issues like that of any child. Devastated by her parents’ divorce, Jillian found herself struggling with weight problems in her early teens. At the age of twelve, Jillian weighed almost 175 pounds. Realizing Jillian’s weight problem, her mom
signed her up for a martial arts class. Five years later, at the age of seventeen Jillian put her passion for fitness to work and became a personal trainer. Today, Jillian stands at 5’2”, and weighs about 125 pounds. Although petite, the rambunctious character shines through in her reality show The Biggest Loser. Oftentimes, Jillian screams, “Unless you puke, faint, or die, keep going!” As these words echo through the gym, Jillian Michaels gives out beatings to her contestants, weighing in at almost four hundred pounds, these people allowed themselves to become morbidly obese.
Glued to a couch for years, you might, in fact, mistake these people for a bouncy house. In one day on The Biggest Loser, they go from zero movement to full-fledged cardio vascular activity. Using erratic techniques such as plyometrics, boxing, and circuit training, weight gets shredded by the pound. Most might say that Jillian Michaels comes off as intimidating and mean, mainly because she enjoys screaming at people and watching them drop like flies. Like a drill Sargent, Jillian Michaels yells at her contestants as if they were soldiers. Her scream, shrill and blood curdling, encourages and motivates. These contestants, basically on the edge of death, put their lives in the hands of Jillian Michaels. She only yells because she cares and wants to help these people save their
lives. Exercise, especially on the Biggest Loser, holds considerable importance. However, Jillian finds it crucial to also eat healthy. While you do burn calories exercising, you can just as easily eat right through them. Jillian, of course, uses her own life as an example for how people should eat and live. Eating mainly organic, she doesn’t see the need to feed our bodies harsh preservatives and chemicals, such as Taco Bell. In many health magazines, Jillian also talks about portioning. She says as long as you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. Although difficult, it definitely can be achieved. While considered uptight and neurotic, Jillian does, however, show a compassionate side.
She pushes everyone until they break, or until their emotions start to bubble over. Latching on like a leach, Jillian starts to focus on the source of the problem. It is a reoccurring theme that obese people gain weight due to psychological factors. Well aware of this, Jillian uses it to her advantage. She finds the issue that made these people gain weight in the first place, and then helps them accept it. By discovering the original problem, these people start to better understand themselves. Jillian helps them realize why they gained weight, and this allows them to prevent it from happening
again. Many people hire a personal trainer to get their butt kicked; or maybe to push them farther than they thought imaginable. With two reality shows, six books, and multiple fitness videos, we can conclude that Jillian Michaels is here to help. Jillian stresses the idea of exercise and healthy eating, while also encouraging the idea of therapy and clearing up your past. At first glance you might say that Jillian comes off as a simple TV character who doesn’t really care about anyone but herself. However, after thorough digging, the love Jillian shows for humanity becomes apparent. Finding drive or desire to exercise sometimes proves to be difficult. With Jillian Michaels’ help, you will find the support and inspiration you need to get off the couch and start moving. Making the world better one over weight person at a time, I hope to one-day give back to the world as much as Jillian Michaels.