“IT’S NOT EXPLOITATION; IT’S EMPOWERMENT.”

This is the motto of the Asian edition of the US hit reality show “The Biggest Loser,” which held a launch/preview on Wednesday to announce its premiere tonight at 9 on the Hallmark channel.

The show first made headlines locally last August, drawing nearly a thousand overweight Filipinos to its open auditions at a popular gym in Mandaluyong.

“A few celebrities tried out—including actors Ruby Rodriguez and Ryan Yllana (brother of Anjo and Jomari),” said Danice Sison, local channel manager. “But mostly, those who lined up were ordinary people.”

Although the aim is to win the $100,000 grand prize, Sison said most of the hopefuls were in it for higher goals.

Health, longevity

“Many were there for health reasons, or because they wanted to be part of a prestigious franchise,” Sison explained. “A guy in his 40s came with his young daughter, said he wanted to be alive when she gets married, and he hoped the show could make that come true.”

The premiere episode features several standouts, like comedienne Rodriguez, who confessed joining the auditions after she was forced to move her daughter to another school when the teasing about her “heavyweight” mother got way too much.

Another interesting entrant is Kevin Yue, who, at 215 kg (475 lbs) is the heaviest contestant in “The Biggest Loser” history. Accompanied by his father, who also tried out, Yue said he usually stayed home or left the house only at night to avoid taunts and stares.

The entry of Rodriguez and Yue was not confirmed at the launch, as the list of the final 16 candidates will be announced on the second episode next week. Sison said even the Hallmark local management is clueless about what will happen next in the show.

Fitness First country manager Mark Ellis, one of the judges in the audition, said the judges focused on the candidates’ “level of obesity, relative fitness—we have to make sure they can survive the physical challenges we’ll be giving them; personality, and an inspiring story that they can tell the audience.”

“The Biggest Loser” franchise started in the United States and grew to include editions in 25 countries, including the UK, Germany, Hungary, India, Israel, Mexico, the Netherlands and Australia. The Asian edition is the second pan-regional edition of the show, next to the Middle East edition. It has 16 contestants from several Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia.

Red Team resident trainer Kristy Curtis noted that food was the main sticking point for the Filipino contestants, who are now holed up for their seventh week of taping and training at a base camp in Malacca, Malaysia.

“They don’t like spicy food, so we had to make the food bland for them,” she said. She also noted, with amusement, that one Filipina had trouble understanding the English language. “At first, I wasn’t sure she understood all my instructions but I think we got used to each other eventually.” Curtis is Australian.

Some of the Muslim contestants also caused concern, as they insisted on working out fully-clothed, and in traditional head scarves. “They told us they were used to working that way, so we let them,” noted Curtis.

For Blue Team trainer (Malaysian) Dave Nuku, the Filipino trainees stood out for being happy. “My impression is that there’s a song and a dance inside every Filipino. They’re strong, they’re determined and they work very hard—they’re laid-back and they like to have a laugh, but when it comes to work, they work,” he noted. “I think there are some very standout characters in the show that come from the Philippines. Some names come to mind, but of course, I can’t tell you about them yet.”