"Biggest Loser" Contestant Kai Hibbard Slams Reality Show, Gained Weight Back

Kai Hibbard in 2009. (Personal Photo)

NEW YORK (CBS) "Biggest Loser" constant Kai Hibbard says the hugely popular reality show is not only untruthful, but harmful to the health of some of the contestants.

In a shocking CBS "Early Show" interview, the military wife who appeared to drop 118 pounds in just 12 weeks said it didn't happen that way.

"I have people that come up to me and talk to me and ask me why they can't lose 12 pound in a week when I did. When I didn't. It didn't happen. It's TV," she said. "I helped perpetuate a myth that's dangerous."

Hibbard said producers often gave contestants more than a week, and, on at least one occasion, less than a week, to lose the weight. She didn't give specifics.

Molly Carmel, director of Greenlight at Wilkins Center in Greenwich, Conn., said, "It's in no way normal to lose 118 pounds in a 12 week amount of time. Even with surgery, that would be a lot of weight to lose."

Hibbard says she has already gained 70 pounds back and now worries about her body image.

"I left with a very poor mental body image," she told "Early Show" co-anchor Erica Hill. "I found myself loathing what I looked like the more weight I dropped because of the pressure on me. And I found myself doing things like considering coffee a meal. And because of the mentality that I was surrounded with, and the pressure that was given at that show, it was considered acceptable to behave that way."

Hibbard claims that contestants on the show were pressured to exercise even when severely injured, and to diet by dehydration. She says they were also told to ignore the advice of nutritionists and listen to the show's trainers.

"Because of the mentality that I was surrounded with, and the pressure that was given at that show, it was considered acceptable to behave that way. I take full responsibility for everything that I've done. But you can't understand it unless you understand the pressure that was there."

Still, Hibbard says she is proud she was able to inspire people to lose weight, but feels compelled to tell her story now and reclaim the truth.

"I participated in something that I feel is harmful to so many people, so I own responsibility to make it better. I'm not making any money off this. I am not getting anything out of it except for the fact that maybe I'm redeeming myself a little bit for being too much of a coward at that finale."

"The Biggest" Loser brought in an estimated $100 million in revenue last year.

That's heavy duty.

More at The Early Show

Watch CBS News Videos Online

[Evonnesthename]

A lot of you people are idiots. Did you guys even read the same article?? Your reading and comprehension need serious work. She just sat up there and told of what happened behind the scenes and last time I checked, NONE of that is healthy behavior for successful weight loss. The show pretty much abuses them physically and psychologically, exploits them for your entertainment. They were encouraged not to eat right and exercise normally because of course that would have had them losing weight at a much more slower and healthy rate, which would suck for ratings. What do you think this show is about?? It's certainly not to help them, its to parade them around and then show off the results (ill gotten no less) so they can make millions off of selling people some impossible dream that they can lose weight super fast if they try their products. Wake up and join reality, get your heads out of your rears. If you support people being torn down for entertainment, then you are a foul human being and people like you serve no purpose in this world. I feel sorry for you. That you would actually blame her for telling the truth about a show that did more harm then good is unbelievable and just speaks to the sad state of humanity. You should all be ashamed of yourselves.

[jmahhh]

how much money were you paid to give this interview. many others have kept their weight off. a protein drink is a good meal replacement if it has carbs and fat in it. way to rip on something that could have given you the skills to become healthy. everybody wants the easy way out. the only way to lose and keep off weight is to work hard and to continue to work hard. duke university spent millions of dollars for some reason to come up with the final conclusion that exercise along with a diet helps you lose weight. hmm go figure.

[maceborg]

The show itself is harmful to watch - the trainers are worse than worthless, promote myths/fraud, and for anyone who has half a brain - they would immediately shut it down. For proper exercise/diet info - see exercisefraud.com

[prisonpsychologist]

Glad she blames herself for it, now she just needs to sit down somewhere. low self esteem is associated with weight gain, so she had the low self esteem, she was vulnerable to the influence of others, but more importantly, she had watched previous shows and knew the fame and potential income it would bring to her. It's tv, and wouldn't be entertaining if they showed someone taking a year to lose 5 pounds. If someone is serious about losing weight and staying healthy, do it in the privacy of your own home, gym and doctors office.

[Spazz420]

its her own fault for only drinking coffee! pick up a carrot stick, or something healthy, no wonder she was mal-nourished and her hair was falling out, just because u cant eat cheese doesnt mean you cant still eat healthy. And its obvious she didnt learn any good eating or exercise habits or anything at all since she gained back over half of what she lost. This to me is LACK OF COMMITMENT and wanting someone else to blame for her weight gain.

[AlanW21126p]

The title of the show says it all.

She and the others willing to appear on the show are ALL "Losers".

[ladyang]

Put down the donuts and pick up the weight ball. You will keep the wieght off with the right attitude and exercise. I lose 20lbs in 12 weeks (for my company competition), the prize? The company would pay my share of medical benefits for 2011. I didn't win, but damn I look god and feel great.

[citizenusa-2009]

It's funny how the COMMERCIAL comes up immediately and I am STILL WAITING to see the clip. Pathetic. I'm going to another news site to follow up on this story.

[giantss2007]

dont worry honey your still the biggest LOSER in my book go sell your story to the globe

[lilbear925]

Unfortunately "reality shows" are anything but reality. They have been contrived and designed to generate viewership and sensation, but that is it. Nobody guaranteed this woman she would not put the weight back on, so the show got what it wanted and this woman is once again overweight. The only way to keep the weight off is by diet and exercise -- a very strict regimen of both. Complaining about the sho will get her nothing.

[Evonnesthename]

do more reading, she developed and eating disorder from being on the show because of the way they treated her and other contestants. That is why she gained it back. So now she has to deal with undoing whatever harm they did psychologically as well as losing the weight again. And the reason she is talking about how the show really is, is to inform people of what really goes on behind the scenes. Blaming her for telling of her experience, is asinine. And BTW, losing weight does not require a strict anything. You just need to do the math with your caloric intake and your energy output. It is not rocket science. It is very easy, you just have to have want to do it and stick with it. Don't try to scare people with this misinformation.