Weight loss TV show draws obese viewers in India

By Tony Tharakan

NEW DELHI (Reuters Life!) - An Indian version of the weight loss reality TV show "Biggest Loser" is attracting a large following in a country increasingly grappling with obesity.

"Biggest Loser Jeetega," or biggest loser wins, features 16 obese contestants closeted in a house near the western city of Mumbai for nearly four months with only trainers and fitness equipment for company.

Their goal: to lose as much weight as possible.

Producers say the thrice weekly show, which has attracted more than 15 million viewers over the last two weeks, strikes a chord with many Indians who themselves are battling the bulge.

Obesity, usually seen as a quintessentially Western phenomenon, is fast becoming a major health problem in rapidly developing countries like India and fellow Asian giant China, where fatter wallets are changing lifestyles.

"I find the show motivating," said 29-year-old teacher Shibi Mathew, who is trying to shed some of her 80 kgs (175 lbs) after her recent pregnancy.

"I am sure working together under the supervision of trainers, the contestants will lose weight but I am not convinced whether they will keep up the routine once the show is over."

Producers say getting obese volunteers to participate in the show, launched last month, was not difficult.