Chris Powell hosts "Extreme Weight Loss"

Everyone's a sucker for a good makeover show.

From TLC's "What Not to Wear" to the ever-anticipated makeover episodes of "America's Next Top Model," viewers can't get enough of these TV transformations, and, as with most reality television, the more extreme the content the better.

It's no wonder, then, that "Extreme Weight Loss" is back for a third season. Catch the newest episode Tuesday, July 23, on ABC.

Like the first two, Season 3 of "Extreme Weight Loss" is composed of eight two-hour episodes, each chronicling the weight-loss journey of one contestant. Each contestant falls into the "super-obese" category -- meaning more than 200 pounds overweight -- and must lose at least 50 per cent of their body weight. Cameras follow each of them for a full year as they make major lifestyle changes and shed pounds as they work towards a healthier body composition.

Host and trainer Chris Powell works tirelessly with the contestants one-on-one to ensure their success. According to the ABC website, "Chris is well equipped to take on this assignment. He holds a degree in Exercise Science, with concentrations in biomechanics and physiology." Add his credentials to a seemingly endless desire to help others, and you have the perfect host.

The show itself is the result of a makeover of sorts. Its original version, "Extreme Makeover," premiered in 2002 and ran until 2007. The makeovers in this original were far more extensive -- contestants would receive everything from plastic surgery to dental work in order to look more conventionally beautiful. While these makeovers were shocking, they could also be quite uncomfortable to watch, and critics of the show complained that it reinforced unobtainable beauty standards.

In 2003, a sister-series premiered that everyone could rally around: "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." Fan favorite and carpenter extraordinaire Ty Pennington left TLC's hit "Trading Spaces" to helm the show, which was initially planned as a 13-part special. It was soon evident that ABC had a runaway hit on its hands, and the show went on for nine seasons, ending its run in 2012. "Home Edition" was a feel-good show; the homes of families who had been through difficulties were renovated and unveiled. Each week, when Ty Pennington cried "Bus driver, move that bus!" to reveal the final results, there were tears in the eyes of millions of viewers as grateful families joyfully explored their new digs.

"Extreme Weight Loss" (formerly known as "Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition") is the perfect marriage of its two predecessors. While it does showcase the physical transformations of its contestants, the change is a necessary and often medically imperative one. Many of the contestants have successfully lost weight and built healthier lifestyles.

Season 2 contestant Jacqui McCoy, for example, lauds the show's purpose and methods on her website: "This show is not your ordinary reality weight-loss show. Chris and Heidi Powell invested in my life and loved me through the hardest battle I have ever fought. In the process, I learned so much from them and about myself."

She goes on to talk about her weight loss, saying: "I became the biggest weight loss by percentage in weight-loss television history at above 58 per cent lost. It is a daily battle to keep the weight off, but I wouldn’t change a thing."

Similarly, Season 2 contestant Mike says of Chris Powell: "I was shocked. He truly was even more awesome, more caring, and more kind than I had ever thought possible ... [he has] the heart of a champion. And he uses that heart to help others. I want to spend my time now helping other people, and everyone I help is a direct result of Chris Powell and his wife Heidi. They changed me, from the inside out."

Like many reality shows, though, "Extreme Weight Loss" has had its detractors, too. In October of last year, former contestant James Garrison blogged about what he claimed was mistreatment by the showrunners (the blog has since been removed in accordance with a cease and desist letter). He was dismayed at the thought of viewers being misled by the way in which the show portrayed his weight-loss journey. For example, he claims that the weigh-in numbers were fudged: "I was told to eat and drink a lot before the initial weigh-in so that it would look like I was bigger," wrote Garrison, "In their words, [they said] 'you have five-star room service after all and it's free. It's not going to hurt if you weigh more.' I guess this is how people get such HUGE Week 1 weight-lost numbers."

Garrison said that the episode about him failed to tell the whole story, that the meal plan outlined in the show wasn't what he followed, and that he was pressured into going to extreme measures to lose the weight. Ultimately, Garret lost 313 pounds on the show -- about half of his initial bodyweight. According to him, the rapidity of his weight loss has caused numerous other medical issues that have landed him in the hospital a few times.

While anything with "extreme" in the title probably isn't the best place to seek inspiration for your own life changes, the show certainly promotes healthy eating, exercise and self-awareness -- qualities that could improve anyone's life, no matter their weight.

Check out a new episode of "Extreme Weight Loss" airing Tuesday, July 23, on ABC.