Season 17 of ‘The Biggest Loser’ inspires audiences

The most recent season of “The Biggest Loser” boasted new features — a new gym, a new house and new host Bob Harper.

For season 17 which began Jan. 4, the theme “Temptation Nation” dominated the contestants’ time on the show. During the premiere episode, competitors were tempted with an offer of $25,000 if they chose to quit before the training began.

And for those who like feeling connected by watching people on television from their home state, there are two pairs from Georgia, one of which is from the mid-state.

In one of the first challenges, the contestants were tested with eating unhealthy items at a food court. Warner Robins native Robert Kidney, who entered the competition with his daughter Sarah Gilbert, appeared passionate about his journey to healthy living and cried while eating the meal.

Couple Colby and Hope Wright, from Odum, Georgia, have been strong willed since the start of the season and have shown near constant support for one another.

In one episode, the contestants were taken to a doctor’s office. Kidney, the season’s oldest competitor, was told he would have less than five years to live if he continued with his eating patterns and did not make a change soon.

The biggest trigger for Kidney’s weight gain was the passing of his friend and mentor. He said on the show that eating became “a numbing agent.”

The doctor evaluated other contestants, and soon it was Colby Wright’s turn.

In a written statement, Wright admitted to drinking a six-pack of soda, three sweet teas, over three cups of juice and a sports drink each day.

As the competition continued, the contestants began to kick their weight loss into high gear, watching their food intake and going to the gym to exercise constantly.

“There’s a lot on the line for me, for my wife, for my family, for my grandson,” Kidney said before a weigh-in. “I just don’t know what plan B is.”

During the eighth week, Colby Wright lost only three pounds but was safe from elimination; however, Kidney went home.

In a closing interview, Kidney said he was grateful for his time on “The Biggest Loser.”

“I’m thrilled to go home and just be a new man to everybody,” Kidney said. “It’s just good to go home and actually feel like it.”

In an update, Kidney was shown to have lost 100 pounds.

Wright was the first contestant in the competition to hit the 100-pound weight loss mark.

The contestants have truly shown how seriously they are taking their weight loss journeys. With dedication and support from others, the competitors show that there is a way to succeed over any obstacle.

Once I started watching the show, I didn’t think as many of the contestants would do as well as they did. The season has been an inspiration for those who want to set a goal and achieve it.