Biggest Loser: Are you watching?

BY NATALIA HAWK

Question: What are you doing at 6:45pm tonight?

Answer: This.

I’m gathering my friends, turning off my phone and settling in to watch the first episode of The Biggest Loser 2013.

There is a group of us who will always take the premiere of a reality TV show and use as an excuse to throw a party. A party in front of the television. (The best kind, really.)

It’s probably not the most social of parties. During the show, nobody is allowed to talk unless it is a life-or-death matter. Popcorn is silently passed between hands.

Chatting is permitted during the ad breaks but as soon as the logo comes back, there’s a lot of shushing. If you’re crying then you will also be shushed. Small sniffles are grudgingly permitted.

We all become far too emotionally invested in the lives of our favourite reality TV show contestants – which is pretty silly when you really think about it. They’re people on a screen, after all. People that, just five minutes ago, would have been complete strangers to us.

But still. We get overly upset, and then we laugh at how ridiculous we’re being and swear to ourselves that we won’t be so crazy-involved next time. And then next time comes and we’re mopping our tears up with the couch cushions. As you do.

I’m particularly excited for The Biggest Loser to start back as I’m interested in the idea of the generational obesity cycle – and how it might be broken.

If you’re also excited for the season premiere, I’ve put together this handy-dandy cheat-sheet of this year’s contestants. This way, you have first pick at learning a little bit about them before the show even begins.

Warning: each of the teams is a family team, made up of two family members. Family = ten times more complicated than strangers. Prepare to experience ALL THE EMOTIONS.

1. Sam and Jess O’Malley
Emotionally relevant relationship: Father and daughter
From: Queensland
Reasons to lose weight: Jess describes herself as “fat and lazy” and is sick of feeling that way. Sam is keen to be a good role model for his kids. Both are also concerned about their health, knowing that it’s not what it used to be.

2. Mandy and Brett Martin
Emotionally relevant relationship: Mother and son
From: Western Australia
Reasons to lose weight: The lovely Mandy and Brett both need to gain confidence. The pair of them are keen to get healthy so that Mandy can comfortably attend social occasions and Brett can join a basketball team and make his dad proud.

3. Richard and Amber-Rose Roach
Emotionally relevant relationship: Father and daughter
From: Queensland
Reasons to lose weight: The pair of them are tired of the cycle of generational obesity they seem to be stuck in within the family – they’re hoping to prove to everybody that you can do something to change your current life.

4. Janet and Kirsten Archibald
Emotionally relevant relationship: Mother and daughter
From: Melbourne
Reasons to lose weight: Both Janet and Kirsten are hoping to finally reach a point where they feel good about themselves. Janet has a dream of attending a ball in a beautiful dress; Kirsten is hoping to get married at a healthy weight.

5.  Gerald and Todd Nester
Emotionally relevant relationship: Father and son
From: Victoria
Reasons to lose weight: Gerald has Type 2 Diabetes and is worried that he’s setting 15-year-old Todd up on a similar path. Todd has been bullied at school, just as Gerald once was, and they’re hoping to stop the cycle now – while it can still be stopped.

6. Robyn and Katie Dyke
Emotionally relevant relationship: Mother and daughter
From: Tasmania
Reasons to lose weight: Both Robyn and Katie have dreams that they’re desperate to achieve. Katie wants to join the army and become a dog handler. Robyn’s is a bit simpler – she just wants to walk down the street and “feel normal”.

7. Chris and Mark Holmes
Emotionally relevant relationship: Father and son
From: Victoria
Reasons to lose weight: Chris and Mark are keen to push themselves to the limits to see how far they can actually go. Chris also has a dream – to go on long hiking trips to fulfil his passion for wildlife photography.

So there you have it. Your complete run-down of this season’s contestants and their motivations for losing weight.

You can go ahead and pick your favourites now. I won’t tell anyone.

And while you’re waiting for 6:45pm Sunday, go ahead and flick through a gallery of all the contestants (and trainers) below.

The Biggest Loser is back in 2013 for what is possibly the most significant challenge in the history of the series: to help break the cycle of generational obesity in

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Will you be watching at 6:45pm  Sunday? Who have been your favourite contestants in the past?