Apparently, Heba Salama and Ed Brantley, Biggest Loser: Families orange team, are some pretty fun cats… and already have their Halloween costumes (that they likely won’t fit into come Halloween!).

Here is the audition tape they sent to NBC. No wonder they were picked!

Don’t miss any of the news, interviews or recaps from Biggest Loser: Families. Sign-up for the Biggest Loser Updates Newsletter today!

Monte Ladner, M.D. is board certified in anesthesiology and chronic pain management. He is a self-described “lifelong fitness freak” and enjoys talking and writing about the benefits of a healthy diet and regular exercise. To this end Dr. Ladner created the Fitness Rocks podcast in June 2006.

Fitness Rocks is a weekly audio podcast in which Dr. Ladner reviews the current medical research regarding the relationship between lifestyle habits and personal health. The podcast frequently includes interviews with the medical scientists who are doing the research work.

Monte Ladner M.D.There were many things that scared me and made permanent impressions on me during the year of my medical internship. One of these was the devastating nature of type 2 diabetes. It’s a brutal disease. Type 2 diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, as well as a major cause of kidney failure and heart disease. It increases the risk of cancer and it damages the blood flow to the legs making it a leading cause of lower extremity amputations.

In the 23 years since my internship there has been an enormous body of research work demonstrating that exercise is one of the most powerful tools we have to prevent or manage type 2 diabetes. In fact, the World Health Organization now estimates that 80 – 90% of all cases of type 2 diabetes could have been prevented by some very simple healthy lifestyle behaviors including a healthy diet, weight control, and regular exercise. Now that we know type 2 diabetes can be prevented by healthier lifestyle habits one would think that the incidence of the disease is declining – but instead it is epidemic.

Major risk factors for type 2 diabetes include being overweight, eating a poor diet, living a sedentary lifestyle, and having a family history of the disease.

People who begin to exercise significantly reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes even if they don’t lose weight. Exercise improves the sensitivity of muscle cells to the effects of insulin and this gets right at the heart of what type 2 diabetes is all about – a resistance to insulin. Skeletal muscle is the largest site of action of insulin in our body. A single bout of vigorous exercise improves insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscles, thereby improving the way our body maintains control of blood sugar.

A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2001 found that men who exercised the most had half the risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to men who exercised the least during a 10-year follow-up period. In the same study, men who watched the most television had nearly 3 times a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to men who watched the least television (Over 40 hours per week compared to less than 1 hour per week.)

The American Diabetes Association recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and 3 sessions per week of weight lifting, doing a routine that exercises all major muscle groups to prevent or improve the management of type 2 diabetes. That’s right; both aerobic exercise and weight training have a place in preventing or treating this disease. If you have not been exercising, you should consult with your personal doctor before starting, especially if you have existing medical problems like type 2 diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association website has more information on the role of lifestyle in preventing and treating type 2 diabetes.

Phillip Parham and his wife, Amy Parham, make up the husband-and-wife red team on Biggest Loser: Families.

Eliminated Week 7 – Hear the Interview

Phil’s and Amy’s Finale Interview

Age 41

Hometown Greer, SC

Occupation Real Estate Agent

Biggest Loser: Families teammate Amy Parham, Wife

Team Color Red / Black

Trainer Jillian Michaels

Starting Weight 331

Final Weight 180

Total Loss -151

Percent Lost 45.62

Factoids

• He and wife Amy split to separate teams during week 5. He is now on Jillian’s black team.

Quotes

• “I saw her pushing 450 pounds with her legs. She was making sounds I haven’t heard since she was giving birth to our children.” – about wife Amy, Week 6
• “The next time you see me, I’ll be so hot you won’t care I don’t have any hair.” – after elimination, Week 7

Videos

• Red Team Week 5 Strategy
• Let There be Puke, Phil
• Phil’s Where Are They Now

Other spellings: Philip, Phillipp, Phil, Fillip, Parham, Param, Paham, Parrham

Don’t miss any of the news, interviews or recaps from Biggest Loser: Families. Sign-up for the Biggest Loser Updates Newsletter today!

Amy Parham makes up the red team on Biggest Loser: Families, with her husband, Phillip Parham.

Watch Amy’s interview life from the finale.

Eliminated Week 6 – Hear the Interview

Age 40

Hometown Greer, SC

Occupation Real Estate Agent

Biggest Loser: Families teammate Phillip Parham, Husband

Team Color Red / Blue

Trainer Bob Harper

Starting Weight 229

Final Weight 124

Total Loss 105

Percent Lost 45.85

Factoids

• She and husband Phillip split to separate teams during week 5. She is now on Bob’s blue team.

Quotes

• “I’m a half-full person stuck on a half-empty team.” – Week 6

Videos

• Red Team Week 5 Strategy
• Amy’s Reveal

Other spellings: Ami, Amie, Ammy, Aime, Amee, Parham, Param, Paham, Parrham

Don’t miss any of the news, interviews or recaps from Biggest Loser: Families. Sign-up for the Biggest Loser Updates Newsletter today!

Adam Capers is on the green team with his wife, Stacey Capers, on Biggest Loser: Families.

Eliminated Week One: Catch the Interview

Age 39

Hometown Gainesville, VA

Occupation Contracts Manager

Biggest Loser: Families teammate Stacey Capers, Wife

Team Color Green

Trainer Bob Harper

Starting Weight 340

Final Loss 260

Total Loss -80

Percent Lost 23.53

Quotes

• “[The married couples] have the advantage because you don’t pick family, you pick soul mates.” – Week 1

Factoids

• Goal is to be 220 pounds at the finale

Other spellings: Adam, Atam, Adim, Adan, Caper, Kaper, Caperr, Casper

Don’t miss any of the news, interviews or recaps from Biggest Loser: Families. Sign-up for the Biggest Loser Updates Newsletter today!