I’m starting to think The Biggest Loser is a big fat con – and not just because I have an overwhelming desire to scoff a packet of Tim Tams every time I watch it.

No, I think it’s a rotten trick to dangle a $50,000 reward for the contestant who loses the most weight in a week, only to tell the “lucky” winner that if they accept the money they will have to leave the show.

Michelle, who should have been celebrating the fact that she had lost 4.3 kilograms, was instead in tears on Monday night because she faced the dilemma of whether to accept the money or not.

Now that I could have lived with – the whole show is about resisting temptation, facing challenges and all that new age stuff. But then she was told that if she accepted the cash, it would come off the $200,000 being offered to the show’s ultimate winner.

Hello, how tight can you get? C’mon, Channel 10, surely you could have got one of your sponsors to fork out an extra 50 grand for the one-off prize!

Where’s the incentive to be the “biggest loser” of the week when your prize is a nasty headache? Even the week’s second biggest loser, Alison, admitted she was glad she hadn’t won because she wouldn’t want to have to make the decision about whether to accept the cash or not.

To be honest, I was already feeling pretty disillusioned with this series. I’ve watched the previous Biggest Losers, I’ve even watched the American version, but my frustration over contestants whinging because they lost “only” 2kg or 1.5kg is growing.

As my colleague Mark Furler, who is on his own weight loss challenge, recently pointed out, most health experts actually recommend that people who need to shed some weight should aim for around one kilogram a week for long-term benefits. What kind of “healthy” message is The Biggest Loser sending out to the masses?

I know, I know – just because it’s called reality television doesn’t mean it has to be realistic.

But that’s not my only issue. Tempting these weight-challenged folk with fat and sugar-laden treats also seems just plain sadistic to me. It’s like letting the canary out of its cage in a room with the cat, then smacking poor Tigger when you spot him later with Tweetie’s feathers sticking out of his mouth!

But back to the big (sorry) issue: Will Michelle take the money or not? Well, according to The Biggest Loser website she will get a visit tonight from her mum to help her decide.

Do I care that much any more? Not really. I'm kinda bored by it all.

Can someone pass the Tim Tams please.

— SUZANNE KEEN

Are you watching The Biggest Loser? Do you think it sets a healthy example?