“The Biggest Loser” Trainer Jillian Michaels Sued For False Advertising

Jillian Michaels, the tough-as-nails trainer on the show “The Biggest Loser”, now faces a challenge of her own. According to recent reports, Christie Christensen of California is suing the diet and exercise mogul alleging that Michaels falsely advertised a diet supplement that promises to lessen appetite and cause weight loss.

Christensen filed the lawsuit after purchasing the “Jillian Michaels Maximum Strength Calorie Control” pills, which failed to help her eat less and lose weight. The diet pill packaging includes a photo of Jillian Michaels, along with her endorsement, which states “Two Capsules Before Main Meals and You Lose Weight…That’s It!” Christensen is also suing Basic Research and ThinCare International, two companies that manufacture many of the diet and weight loss products endorsed by Michaels.

Christensen’s attorneys argue that she has struggled with weight loss her entire life and bought the diet pills specifically because of Michaels’ endorsement of the product. Nevertheless, ThinCare recently stated that it plans to win the case since it offers a money-back guarantee for dissatisfied customers. Furthermore, ThinCare also maintains that the pills do work based on the results of “published clinical studies” and that Michaels would not have endorsed a product without the research to prove the pills work. Despite ThinCare’s claims, the diet pill is not one of the products for sale on “The Biggest Loser” website. I know some will argue that Christensen’s lawsuit is frivolous. But consider the fact that “The Biggest Loser” is a show premised on the old-fashioned approach to weight loss and fitness: a healthy diet and regular exercise. That might explain why many health-conscious individuals were wary when Michaels agreed to endorse diet pills. Thus, while Christensen isn’t guaranteed to win her case, the news coverage probably doesn’t bode well for Michaels’ image as the “no-nonsense” fitness guru.