Rachel Frederickson certainly had people worried when she dropped to 105 pounds for The Biggest Loser's fifteenth-season finale, however, the show winner has since put some more meat on her bones.
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"I've gone up about 20 pounds," the now-125-pound Frederickson told Us. "I think I'm at my perfect weight!"
Frederickson added that all the backlash following her transformation was "a gift" because "it started a discussion about body image. That's huge."
She's apparently been able to reach and maintain a healthy weight thanks to the support team she has from the show.
"We have monthly calls with the other contestants and the show psychologist," Frederickson told Us. "And our nutritionist is available 24/7... I work out an hour, six days a week. I love classes like SoulCycle. I also loosely count calories, but sometimes I might eat an Oreo. It's not the end of the world."
The Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels expressed her serious concern for Frederickson in late February.
"I was furious on a bunch of different levels because I felt like, how did we not know? How did the show fail her? It's obvious we believe she's too thin. It's absurd on many levels, for her and how this happened, and I'm concerned about why we weren't told," Michaels told The Tennessean newspaper at the time.
Trainer Bob Harper agreed with Michaels, saying he was "stunned" by Frederickson's drastic weight-loss. Likewise, fellow trainer Dolvett Quince -- who worked closely with Frederickson during her The Biggest Loser experience -- suggested at the time his client's "journey to good health has not yet ended."
Frederickson had a BMI of only 17.5 when she was 105 pounds, which is considered underweight for her 5'5" height, according to the National Institute of Health. However, Frederickson repeatedly dodged questions on whether she felt she became "too skinny" or "took things too far" for weeks.
Frederickson began The Biggest Loser at 260 pounds and ended up winning the show's $250,000 grand prize.
The Biggest Loser is now in the casting process for its upcoming sixteenth season.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
