Should 'The Biggest Loser' put struggling kids on national TV? (Poll)

REEDLEY, CA - OCTOBER 21: Seventeen year-old Marissa Hamilton stands on a scale during her weekly weigh-in at the Wellspring Academy October 21, 2009 in Reedley, California. Struggling with her weight, seventeen year-old Marissa Hamilton enrolled at the Wellspring Academy, a special school that helps teens and college level students lose weight along with academic courses. When Marissa first started her semester at Wellspring she weighed in at 340 pounds and has since dropped over 40 pounds of weight in the first two months of the program. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 percent of children in the US ages 6-19 years are overweight or obese, three times the amount since 1980. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Marissa Hamilton

Is teaching deprivation the best way to achieve long-term health for overweight kids? Should potentially vulnerable teens go through this process on national television? Will it help parents and kids who are dealing with the same issues?

Doctors are raising concerns about featuring children on "The Biggest Loser" reality show. It's the first time the popular weight-loss competition has included overweight teenagers. The producers say it will raise awareness of the epidemic of childhood obesity.

Lindsay Bravo, a 13-year old from Fillmore, California, is one of the "Biggest Loser" kids. She said she wants to drop pounds so she can have more friends and stop being bullied. The teens are not being treated the same as adult competitors. They get access to personal trainers, nutritionists and doctors, but will not be subject to elimination as adults are.

Still, one doctor was worried by a recent episode showing the 16-year old contestant, Sunny Chandrasekar, celebrating her birthday by eating a mandarin orange instead of any sweets.

Should "The Biggest Loser" put overweight teens on national TV?

Is teaching deprivation the best way to achieve long-term health for overweight kids? Should potentially vulnerable teens go through this process on national television? Will it help parents and kids who are dealing with the same issues?

Guests:
Dave Broome, Executive Producer & Co-creator, “The Biggest Loser” reality show about weigh-loss

Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, Medical Director, Bariatric Medical Institute in Ottawa; Board-Certified Physician by the American Board of Bariatric Medicine; Blogs at weightymatters.ca