Jillian Michaels, the trainer who helped Rachel Frederickson win season 15 of "The Biggest Loser," told The Huffington Post on Thursday she agrees with what most people are saying about the winner- that she lost too much weight.
Rachel Frederickson revealed her extreme weight loss to the world in early February, dropping from 260 pounds to 105. Social media and headlines exploded with questions of whether or not Frederickson, who is now underweight, took the weight loss too far.
"I was stunned," Michaels told The Huffington Post, recalling her reaction when she saw Frederickson. "I thought she had lost too much weight."
A picture of Michaels at the "The Biggest Loser" finale standing next to trainer Bob Harper shows Michaels with her jaw dropped, and a frightened look on Harper's face.
Michaels told The Huffington Post the show has several checks and balances in place to monitor the contestants. One is that trainers must check on the contestants after they leave the show's ranch. Frederickson apparently was losing a lot of weight on her own, without Michaels knowing.
"In my opinion, this had fallen through those checks and balances," Michaels told The Huffington Post.
Frederickson, who is 24 years-old and 5-foot-4 inches tall, admitted during the competition she was ashamed of her body. She was even afraid of being around her family.
After the competition, Frederickson told People magazine that perhaps she lost too much weight.
"Maybe I was a little too enthusiastic in my training to get to the finale," Frederickson said, according to The Huffington Post.
Michaels, however, suggested that Frederickson's weight loss is indicative of an emotional issue.
"Anybody who gains too much weight or loses too much weight...these are manifestations of the same issue," Michaels told The Huffington Post. "It simply means that somebody is utilizing their relationship with food to manage emotions that are painful, hard, difficult to face or control."
