TV Shows That Make You Healthier

From reality shows that help contestants get fit, to dramas that tackle complex medical conditions with depth and sensitivity, to sitcoms that sneak in healthy living tips among the laughs, these are the shows you can feel good about watching. Read on for our overall Healthy TV Winners, plus other series that are doing it right.

HEALTHY TV WINNER

Hot In Cleveland

TV LAND

Three witty women (stars Wendie Malick, Jane Leeves, and Valerie Bertinelli) adopt Cleveland as the heartland of self-acceptance to show that hot equals healthy. The 89-year-old spark plug that is Betty White adds to the high jinks.

BEST INTEGRATION OF MEDICAL NEWS

Grey's Anatomy

ABC

This hospital drama, starring Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey, has fearlessly tackled tough, topical health issues with intelligence and compassion, from Alzheimer's disease to post-traumatic stress, ever since the show's inception in 2005.

MOST SENSITIVE PORTRAYAL OF AUTISM

Parenthood

NBC

Watching Adam and Kristina Braverman (Peter Krause and Monica Potter) come to terms with their son Max's special needs gave a heartfelt—and helpful—glimpse of families living with a loved one with a condition on the autism spectrum.

Prevention Healthy TV Winner: The Biggest Loser

NBC

This show is a phenomenon, driving contestants to get healthy and drop pounds so they can win $250,000. With the help of ex-BL trainer Jillian Michaels and host Alison Sweeney, these men and women touch viewers' hearts and minds as they reshape their bodies—and their lives.

Be the biggest loser at home: Can't-miss exercise, motivation, and diet tips from trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels

MOST CLEVER HEALTHY-LIFESTYLE CUES

Rizzoli & Isles

TNT

Detective Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) may be a crime-fighting babe, but she never wastes an opportunity to slip health information into a sentence—chastising a colleague to switch to decaf coffee or owning up to her childhood as an overweight kid, for example.

MOST RELEVANT USE OF A MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGH

Glee

FOX

This ensemble musical show (with Jane Lynch, Matthew Morrison, and Lea Michele) has a ton of heart, featuring a wheelchair-bound character as just one of the gang. When Artie (Kevin McHale) got outfitted with a robotic exoskeleton called ReWalk, which (in real life) allows paraplegics partial mobility, we all got lumps in our throats.

BEST INTEGRATION OF GREEN LIVING

Modern Family

ABC

Typical episodes include Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) coming home from shopping for local produce at the farmers' market, his reusable market basket filled with kale, while the Dunphys (Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell) play a boys-versus-girls ball game for the right to pass on dishwashing duty.

Replace processed, fake foods with these healthier natural and organic foods. Discover these 23 ways to eat a cleaner diet.

Prevention Healthy TV Winner: Parks And Recreation

NBC

Amy Poehler heads a cast that's fun, funny, and sexy. When Chris (Rob Lowe) offers a guest some greens and purrs, "Try it, salad's good for you," you know mesclun's made it to the big time.

BEST WINDOW INTO THE AGING GUY'S SOUL

Men Of A Certain Age

TNT

Whether it's adjusting to reading glasses or coping with bigger-deal scares like cancer, Ray Romano and his band of buds give women a secret decoder ring to men's mental and physical health concerns.

MOST DARING CONCEPT

The Big C

SHOWTIME

Skin cancer takes center stage as actress Laura Linney's Cathy lives a full life, despite her diagnosis.

TIE!

Dancing With The Stars (DWTS)

ABC

So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD)

FOX

On DWTS (hosted by Brooke Burke and Tom Bergeron), stars like Kirstie Alley have made dancing for weight loss simply inspiring. And SYTYCD has given us congressionally endorsed National Dance Day, which promotes an active lifestyle. Let's tango!

Dance your way to a better body: Try dance classes—or these great workout DVDs—for a fun cardio workout that sculpts and tones your core and lower body.

HOLD THE APPLAUSE

FEMALE JOGGER DOWN!

Body Of Proof

ABC

We were bummed when, in a time-honored TV tradition, yet another female jogger dropped dead, this one from downing a poisoned sports drink while out for a solo run. Note to writers: Leave the runners alone!

THUMBS-DOWN TO BOTTOMS UP

Cougar Town

ABC

It's one thing to have a glass or two of wine, but Cougar Town's giant goblet—dubbed Big Carl by Courteney Cox's character, Jules—holds a bottle and a half of vino, which she glugs almost every episode. Put a warning label on it, guys.

WORST MISSED HEALTH OPPORTUNITY

NCIS

CBS

Actor Sean H. Murray got the Twittersphere chirping with concern over his dramatic weight loss. So why didn't NCIS take advantage and have his character, Agent Timothy McGee, gab a bit about his new diet plan?

SPECIAL MENTIONS

THE ADVOCACY AWARD

Mariska Hargitay

Hargitay takes her Law & Order: SVU character's job so seriously that she created the Joyful Heart Foundation to help victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse.

THE NEWSMAKERS AWARD

To Today's Natalie Morales, whose marathon run roused viewers to better fitness; Today's Hoda Kotb and Good Morning America' Robin Roberts for sensitively bringing to bear their own experiences with breast cancer; Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who uses The View to share the struggles of celiac disease; and Kelly Ripa, the fund-and awareness-raiser for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

THE SOUL FOODIES AWARD

To Giada De Laurentiis, who proves that you can enjoy healthy home cooking; Ellie Krieger, RD, who shows that eating smart can be tasty too; and Iron Chef's Cat Cora, for cooking healthy under pressure.

SYNDICATED

The Dr. Oz Show

By taking the mystery out of the medical and adding showmanship and sex appeal, Mehmet Oz, MD, is making America healthier, one episode at a time. With the help of wacky props and an "Assistant of the Day," he gets viewers to improve their lives.