PattiAnderson

Most of the episode was spent showcasing how sick this season's cast of contestants was. They took two opportunities to talk to the White team, which includes Michael, the heaviest-ever contestant.

We didn't get to spotlight all of the remaining 11 teams, but we did get to look at a variety of ways in which obesity affects our lives.

At the challenge, teams had to carry 10 beach balls across a balance beam over a pool.

(S09E01) That was fast. It seems like just last month we were crowning Danny "The Biggest Loser," and yet we're back at it already. The series returned to the "Couples" format for this ninth season, but that didn't stop them from finding even bigger contestants to throw at Bob and Jillian.

In fact, that was one of the first things the trainers talked about: how hard they were going to have to work to beat these guys into shape. Five contestants are weighing in at over 400 pounds, with one smashing Shay's record of 476 by coming in at 526 pounds. Two of those contestants are a set of twins weighing in at nearly a thousand pounds combined.

If being the biggest combined group ever wasn't embarrassing enough, the first thing these contestants learned was that their first weigh-in wasn't going to be at the Ranch. It was going to be in their hometowns. Outside and in front of all their friends and families. Welcome to The Biggest Loser.