Sometimes being a loser isn’t a bad thing.

“Come be a part of the biggest phenomenon in reality television. We are looking for outgoing, charismatic and candid individuals with personality who have the want, desire and competitive edge to vie for this all-expense-paid chance of a lifetime,” the show states.

The casting directors for “The Biggest Loser” made their first stop for their season four casting call at Jordan Creek Town Center in Des Moines on Sunday. Heather Holloway and Martin Booker, casting directors for the program, visited with more than 100 potential cast members for next season’s show.

For those who don’t know, “The Biggest Loser” is a reality weight loss competition that airs on NBC. The contestants compete for $250,000, which goes to the individual who loses the greatest percentage of weight during the show. Participants who wish to lose weight arrive on a ranch and work with one of two personal trainers. The trainers teach the contestants about proper nutrition and fitness techniques. The trainers and their teams also build friendships that help the “losers” handle the mental difficulties that come along with losing weight.

“We want somebody who sparkles, has a great story and who has the need and drive to lose weight,” said Holloway.

Individuals who came to try out at the mall were given applications to fill out and bracelets to wear that displayed their place in line. Candidates were told to bring pictures of themselves to show their size changes over the years. Some people who were trying out used creative measures to stand out. Homemade T-shirts and football uniforms were among the unique attire. Groups of ten were called in for an informal question and answer session with Holloway and Booker.

Holloway said that NBC decided to make Jordan Creek a stop on the casting tour because of the amount of audition tapes they had received from the Des Moines area. Two months before the tour, the casting department begins accepting audition tapes from around the country. Booker added that many of the individuals who had sent in tapes from this area looked promising for the show.

The NBC creative head makes the ultimate decision about the cast members after the casting tour.

Samantha Henderson, sophomore in secondary education, traveled from Ames to try out for the show.

“When I went to high school I started doing sports and I loved it. Now, life gets so busy, so I look for the fast, quick fixes,” said Henderson. “Food is like a drug.”

Henderson thinks that the hours of workouts, dieting and weigh-ins in front of millions of viewers are not as bad as keeping the weight on.

“When people look at those who are bigger, they only see you are fat. They don’t see anything else about you,” Henderson said, “Every boyfriend I’ve ever had I was friends with before we began dating.”

During season three, one contestant was chosen from each of the 50 states. The two trainers then chose seven players to make up their team and train on the ranch. The other 36 contestants continued to workout and diet at home, and the woman and man who lost the greatest percentage of weight after a couple months on their own, returned to the ranch and rejoined the other competitors.

The contestant from Iowa, Steve Pilchen, worked with the casting directors at Jordan Creek to question the candidates. Pilchen was not chosen for the two teams but worked hard and learned from the show.

“I learned a lot about nutrition, calories and things to watch out for,” Pilchen said. “The show also gives me incentive to maintain the weight loss.”

Iowa has had quite a history with “The Biggest Loser” series. The second season winner who lost 157 pounds during the show, Matt Hoover, hailed from Marion, Iowa. He was a wrestler at the University of Iowa and returned to his high school during this season on “The Biggest Loser” to teach students how to live a healthier lifestyle.

The winner from season three, Erik from New York, lost 214 pounds.

Many of the contestants leave the show looking like completely different people than when they entered the show.

Holloway and Booker were unsure if there would be a theme for season four.

“They rarely tell us the direction of the show. We select the contestants we like and the show is designed around them,” Booker said.

Comedian Caroline Rhea hosts and Bob Harper and Kim Lyons are the trainers. Both work as trainers outside of the show, and Harper has trained many celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, Selma Blair, Ben Stiller, Jenny McCarthy and Ellen DeGeneres. Lyons has competed in fitness competitions, modeled and worked as a private personal trainer.

The winner of season three thanked his trainer for “saving his life.” If you missed the tryouts at Jordan Creek Mall on Sunday but are still interested in becoming a participant in season four, you can submit a tape showing why you need to lose weight to “The Biggest Loser” casting address, which can be found on the show’s Web site, www.nbc.com/The_Biggest_Loser.