'Biggest Loser' event at Indiana Live! Casino draws big crowd

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March 01, 2011

Catherine Sutter has tried a variety of diets, none of which have enabled her to lose the weight she wants to get rid of.

That's what led Sutter and her father, Mark Burdsall, to join approximately 850 contestants and participate in a casting call for "The Biggest Loser," a reality-based television show that conducted auditions at Indiana Live! Casino on Saturday, February 26.

"I keep telling people I want to wow them," Sutter said. "I have the motivation to make a drastic weight change. That would be great. That would really motivate me."
Sutter and her father want to compete as a team on season 12 of "The Biggest Loser," which debuts in May. The father-daughter team made a good enough impression during their audition to receive a callback, which means they are one step closer to appearing on the show and competing for the top prize of $250,000.

Contestants were asked a variety of questions during the seven-minute audition process, including how much weight they wanted to lose and if they wanted to tell any interesting stories about themselves.

"There's not one story I haven't heard, unless you're a man who tells me you can't lose the weight because you're pregnant," said Barbara Wulff, Casting Director for "The Biggest Loser." "Other than that, I've heard just about every story."

Burdsall weighed 220 pounds when he wrestled for the Army in the 1980s. He now weighs 360 pounds and, along with daughter, is anxious to slim down.

"We add up to about 700 pounds," Burdsall said. "We figure between the two of us we could lose a little over 300 pounds. We could almost lose the equivalent weight of one of us."

Prior to going through the audition process, Burdsall and Sutter spoke and had their picture taken with Allen Smith, a former contestant on "The Biggest Loser" who is from Columbus, Ind. Smith was pleased to see so many contestants show up for the casting call at Indiana Live! Casino.

"I think it's awesome. It's something that Indiana definitely needed," Smith said. "People think we're not in that bad of shape. Then they see this many people come out who are actually needing a lifestyle change."

Wulff sympathizes with those struggling to lose weight.

"Obesity, to me, is a disease," Wulff said. "The only thing is, with alcohol and drugs you can stop. You can't stop eating. You need food to survive. These people come in and they've tried every diet. But for whatever reason, they can't get it done. It's overwhelming to a lot of people."

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