This Time Food Is Not A Problem

If you've seen any of the promos so far for Survivor: Marquesas you know that it's back to the beach for the fourth million-dollar game in the CBS reality TV series. But what sets this show, which debuts Thursday, apart from the original is what's on the menu.

"The biggest change for this Survivor is, we're not giving them any food, we're not giving them any water, we're not giving them any fire. So whatever they get, they're going to have to find, or create, or make on their own," explains Survivor host Jeff Probst. Tough talk considering the conditions past contestants have had to endure.

"I'm concerned it will be a bit gamey," said former Survivor Greg Buis about his meal. "We don't have the gravy we were looking for. Because when cooking rat, sauce is of the utmost importance."

Though Richard Hatch, winner of the first game, boasted about the weight he lost, Jerri Manthey, a contestant in the second game. was not too happy about it. "The whole hunger thing for me has been a huge hurdle."

Tina Wesson, winner of the second game,. explained best when she said, "nutritionally, our bodies are going into shock."

But food sources, hard to come by on Survivors past, are plentiful on Nuku Hiva.

"This is a natural produce isle. There are coconuts, pineapples, bananas, and, of course, the mango. The list is endless. We have a lot of fruits here," says Tracy Teuria. She is a Nuku Hiva local who gave the contestants a crash course on what was edible on the island of abundance.

"There's plenty of protein around. It's just a matter of catching it. We have wild roosters and chickens; we have wild goat in the mountains. Fish in the sea? No problem," she says.

And to make sure they could catch those fish, contestants were taught how to make their own tackle, something Nuku Hiva natives have done for centuries.

"To make a fishing line, we have a tree known as a hibiscus tree. Take off the outer bark to make rope. To make a fishing hook, you go and get a branch of thorny acachea, cut it in the V, and cut up other thorns and bind that all together with coconut husk string. Wrap that around, and that makes a good hook," she explains.

So don't expect to the newest 16 contestants to show the kind of dramatic weight loss we've come to expect from past shows.