Big Losses Make a Winner

By Nadya Huang

Asia’s first Biggest Loser is David Gurnani, who produced staggering numbers in the finale to trump three other finalists.

The 25-year-old Indonesian shed 83 kilograms off his original frame in six months.  His sum of weight and fat loss at 53 per cent and 45 per cent respectively gave Gurnani his victorious 98-point score during the finale on Mar. 9, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The finale video showed how each of the four finalists prepared for the final weigh-in after graduating from the show’s 13-week long boot camp.

In contrast to the other contestants who had resumed their regular lives, Gurnani had chosen to continue a similarly – if not more – rigorous routine as that during boot camp.

Foo Peiwen, a second-year Japanese Studies major at the National University of Singapore, was impressed with Gurnani’s achievement.

She said, “I think it’s quite inspiring to people who have had similar problems; they can follow by example and shed the weight with exercise and a good diet.”

However, many others carry reservations. 54-year-old Wong Fook Nyen is among them.

“It’s ridiculous to lose so much weight in five or six months. At first when you look at him you think he’s skinny, but his face looks so haggard,” said Wong, who is a loyal fan of the show.

His opinion appears to be shared by many others on the internet. Shemah, a blogger, wrote, “I just can’t help but feel sorry for him because he looks so sickly. He looks really haggard. He’s only 25 years old and he looks scary ill.”

The forum on the official site has also been abuzz with such comments. One user, BoyStar, said, “He may have won but he sure made a mockery of the show contradicting the very purpose of the show.”

In the finale video, Gurnani said, “I exercise eight to ten hours a day,” adding that he kept to “the strict diet” and “had no trouble resisting temptation.”

However, in the post-show press conference, he said, “Eight to ten hours a day is extreme. I did that because it was part of a competition. I would suggest that eight to ten hours a week of exercise would be enough.”

Gurnani’s closest contender was 32 year-old Carlo Miguel from the Philippines, who lost 49 kg in six months to emerge as first runner-up.

Gurnani walked away with US$100,000 and a brand new Renault car.