TV: Upbeat show gives us the skinny

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Getting fat people thin ... hopefully.

ARARAT, a small town near Melbourne in western Victoria with a population just more than 8000, began a battle when TV show The Biggest Loser came to town.

Ararat was chosen because population surveys from 2012 had shown it as one of Australia's fattest communities. It was astounding to see the finale this week where the whole town got behind the 14 contestants

These people never exercised, ate massive bags of chippies, sugar-laden foods, fatty meaty sarnies, tubs of ice cream, pizzas, quantities of beer and soft drinks.

They all admitted they were slugs who lolled on their sofas, laid on their beds, sat on their verandahs and walked as little as possible.

One man exercised his dog by leashing it up, then holding the lead through the driver's window of his ute and taking the animal at a trot through the dusty trails.

One young girl of 17 admitted she hid in her bedroom and ate ice cream and watched TV all day, every day and never went out socially.

The people of Ararat even got behind the competitors by losing weight themselves and raising winnings from the show's producers. More than $140,000 was raised for Ararat.

It was great to watch, especially when the contestants came back and set up for their final parade before the town.

Watching the transformation of once-fat blokes stepping it out on the runway in nifty suits, no belly tipping over, and curvy women arriving in long gowns, gorgeous hairdos and lippy wreathed in smiles ... it was a big heart warmer.

As they strutted that catwalk a life-sized video of each of them pre-weight loss was shown and oh wow!

The audience roared into a town chant Ara-rat, Ara-rat.

I only managed to see this programme after a friend suggested I watch it.

She told me it was about a small town and the huge weight loss their largest citizens took on.

The 14 contestants were whisked off to a serious boot camp and were pushed, threatened and told sternly to get off their "fat arses" and change their lives.

It was a day-time slot so normally I wouldn't have seen it.

I'm delighted I did, especially seeing that sparkling joyous finale where absolutely everyone was thrilled.

Now the people of Ararat are challenging other Australia small towns to take a serious look at their obesity problems.

Australian people have been touted as among the most obese in world statistics.

You go Ararat. You're a town with a big heart and a lot of life-long sense.