Texas and Minnesota Women Stir Controversy Over Their Weight ... and Weight Loss

Mayra Rosales has lived big. Literally. Just 5 to 6 years ago she was one of the heaviest women in the world. As if that was not weight enough on her shoulders, Mayra was the chief suspect in the death of her young nephew. That's because Myra confessed to killing him. As it turns out, however, Mayra was merely trying to protect her sister. Mayra thought her days were numbered, so she hoped to relieve her abusive sister from being convicted of murder. In the end the truth prevailed.

I wrote about Myra almost two years ago. She was enormous, and the sight of her was more than most of us can fathom.

Myra has come a long way. Her weight loss has been dramatic, but even still she has a few pounds to shed. There was even a follow up television show about Myra and the long journey she has traveled.

In comparison, just two days ago NBC aired the finale of NBC's The Biggest Loser. (This is the only show on NBC I can bring myself to watch.) Those of us who regularly watch the BL series have seen some pretty amazing weight loss results in the contestants over the last ten years. But when Rachel Frederickson made her final reveal entry two nights ago, even the trainers were shocked.

Rachel, who hails from Minnesota, had dropped from 260 pounds to 105 pounds, for nearly a 60% loss. Audience and Internet immediately began to ask whether Rachel had gone overboard, to the point where she is no longer healthy by perhaps anorexic.

Rachel insists she is healthy. Now that she has won the $250,000 prize, perhaps she now can stop being so extreme and find some moderation in her eating and her exercise. She took home the grand prize of $250,000, so it's likely she won't be starving herself for long.

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