I agree that too much pushing is not going to be healthy for anyone! Even the trainers on Biggest Loser have been concerned and shocked in the last few years on what the producers have been asking their contestants to do.
For one thing, the last few seasons have seen contestants that are over the 400-pound mark, several close to 500 pounds. In Season 7 Jillian and Bob were freaked out that they were getting into this territory. The trend continues this season with even more people in this weight range. This is really not the level of weight a reality show should be dealing with and not what Bob and Jillian agreed to do.
You can't have 400+ pound people training at the same levels as 200-300 pound persons without getting injuries. And it shows: Season 7 had the contestants training for and running a half marathon and then a full marathon. The trainers were appalled. And then this season, before the contestants even made it to the ranch, there was a mile-long beach race right off the bus that two people ended up life-flighted and hospitalized for.
People in both recent seasons have been handling stress fractures (one girl was sent home with a pelvic stress fracture, which is *incredibly* serious). One woman got Rhabdomyolysis and spend the first week of the show hospitalized, and then the next two weeks prohibited from using the gym.
One woman started the show at 476 pounds. Think about hard exercise on your joints and organs when you carry that much weight. When I go backpacking with more than 50 pounds on my back I feel completely crushed inside. So I'd have to imagine almost seven of those Backpacks on my body (i weigh 120-130) and THEN be pushed through a grueling workout with all that weight, for ten hours a day every day for months.
The show is now on irresponsible territory. Not the trainers' fault - i think they really don't know how to handle the direction the show has turned.