UPDATE: When asked about reports she's writing a book, Kai Hibbard told E! News, "It is currently in the works, and I have no further comment."
__
The Biggest Loser aims to motivate contestants and viewers alike, but season three runner-up Kai Hibbard says she had a very different experience on the show back in 2006.
According to Daily News sources, the former reality TV show competitor has written a book about the show titled Too Fat, Too Thin, Can't Win. In this supposed "tell-all," Hibbard reportedly claims she "endured abuse at the hands of the show's trainers, lost her hair and was fat-shamed on the series..."
While NBC had no comment, Hibbard addressed the report on Facebook, writing, "Like most things reported in the media, this is *sort of* correct."
"I hope more than a 'tell all' that when all is said and done it stands as a statement on the media, society and how shame is not a motivator but a paralytic from someone who has regretfully been there and done that," she added.
According to the Daily News, Hibbard's book is being shopped to varying publishers and is expected to win a deal in the "high six figures."
"She's the first and only person brave enough to speak out publicly about ‘The Biggest Loser,'" one source tells the paper. "The book is about more than just the show. It's a book about fat-shaming and the dangers of turning people's health into a game show."
This isn't the first time the NBC show has courted controversy. Season 15 winner Rachel Frederickson lost a shocking 155 pounds during her time on the show, leadings some to question whether she'd taken her weight loss too far.
Former Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels later told HuffPost Live she was "stunned" by Frederick's dramatic transformation, adding, "I thought she had lost too much weight."
Last year, sources connected to the show told E! News Biggest Loser producers were considering some "small but significant tweaks" to the series' production—including more support and check-ins for contestants after they shoot the final episode.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Originally published March 9, 2015, at 2:05 p.m. PT