TLC's 1000-Lb Sisters focuses on siblings Amy and Tammy Slaton. And, as the title of
the show suggests, the sisters have a combined weight that exceeds 1,000 pounds. But there's
a lot viewers don't know about the show and its stars. Here's the untold truth about 1000-Lb
Sisters.
In 2011, Amy Slaton launched her own YouTube channel, posting lighthearted videos featuring
herself and sister Tammy. It wasn't until 2014, however, that they skyrocketed to online
fame by taking on the silly and dangerous "Chubby Bunny Challenge."
"...Chubby bunny."
In their video, the sisters crammed marshmallow after marshmallow into their mouths, cracking
each other up as they did so. The video quickly went viral, racking up more than 1.8 million
views. The video's unexpected success made the sisters YouTube sensations, and more videos
followed, with some gaining big view totals.
In April 2016, Amy Slaton had her most popular video yet, with "The Power of Makeup," in
which she puts makeup on half her face and leaves the other half untouched. That video
received an astounding 7.3 million views, proving the Slatons were no one-hit wonders
on the video platform.
The double-edged sword of YouTube stardom is that the factors that make someone popular
are usually the same things they're criticized for. In 2017, Amy Slaton posted a video of
herself reading some of the "hate comments" the sisters have received, and then she responded
to them directly.
Not only do the Slatons occasionally respond to the haters, but sometimes their fans do
it for them. In May 2017, Amy Slaton took to Instagram to repost a message from one
of her social media followers who wrote,
"This post goes out to Amy Slaton and other ladies being bullied on social media. Stop
it! Yes, you trolls and spiteful haters. ...If you don't like Amy Slaton then don't watch
her channel. Spreading hate and negativity will destroy you [from] within."
In the caption of her repost, the star wrote,
"Y'all are so nice to me, this is just one example of a fan being so kind and supportive.
Without y'all Idk where I'd be."
Given that Tammy Slaton has weighed more than 600 pounds, it's not surprising that she's
experienced some severe health challenges. A TLC announcement noted,
"Tammy's limited mobility forces her to rely on Amy more than she'd like to, adding to
the tension that already exists just from living under the same roof. She hasn't left
home in six years except for medical attention, and the isolation has taken a toll on both
of them."
In an interview with The Louisville Courier Journal, Tammy explained that her motivation
to have bariatric surgery and to document her weight-loss journey for TLC was simply
to become healthy. She shared that she's coped with two blood clots, pneumonia, and several
medical procedures. She was even being placed on life support in the past. She admitted,
"I'm tired of being sick all the time. I'm just done."
"When I started this journey, I weighed 608 pounds. But now, I've made it down to 559."
In March 2019, Tammy shared a video of herself in a hospital bed after being admitted for
yet another illness. Explaining she was hospitalized after her foot had become so painful and swollen
she couldn't stand up, she revealed her latest affliction, quote: "I got gout."
Chronic health issues not only affected Tammy Slaton's mobility and kept her more-or-less
housebound for years, but also left her suffering with severe depression. The isolation she
felt, she told People in 2019, eventually became so overwhelming that it actually brought
her to the brink of taking her own life.
However, Tammy claims she felt new energy for personal growth after the crisis, saying,
"I had a feeling that if I didn't make changes now, I wasn't going to live past 35."
Amy Slaton turned to food as a means of coping with grief. Speaking with The Louisville Courier
Journal, the Slaton sister said her weight was normal until age 10, when her beloved
grandmother passed away. She explained,
"My mom worked two to three jobs at a time, and my grandma was basically our mom. When
she died, our whole world changed."
With their mother working and their older siblings away from home, their grandmother's
passing forced Tammy and Amy to fend for themselves. Aged 10 and 11 at the time, they turned to
easy-to-prepare packaged food such as frozen pizza and ramen noodles. Tammy told the newspaper,
"It's what we ate to survive, and that stuff is not good for you. Depression and just trying
to live all kind of caught up with us."
Prior to the launch of TLC's 1000-Lb Sisters, the network posted a video on Facebook showing
the Slaton sisters undertaking the "Dressed Banana" challenge.
In the video, Tammy asked, "What the heck's a Dressed Banana?" As Amy explained, the process
involves peeling a banana, dipping it in a jar of mayonnaise, and then rolling it in
crushed peanuts, a concoction that she admitted sounded, quote, "like the nastiest thing in
the world."
Finally, the sisters took a taste of their culinary creations. The video ended in pure
slapstick Slaton style, with the sisters smashing cream pies in each other's face. Guess that's
one way to promote a show.
"It could be really good for you."
Speaking with The Louisville Courier Journal, the Slatons revealed that it was their YouTube
followers who first reached out to TLC. Before their TV show's debut, the sisters expressed
hope that they'd show people a different side of themselves that doesn't necessarily come
across in their wacky YouTube videos. Amy explained,
One new facet not explored in YouTube was Amy's desire to have a baby with her husband,
Michael. However, her obesity became an obstacle in becoming pregnant, as doctors warned that
she wouldn't be able to conceive until she lost weight. Amy admitted on the show's first
episode,
"I alway wanted to be a mom. I feel incomplete as a woman because I can't have a kid. My
husband Michael means the world to me. He's really supportive of helping Tammy."
According to People, the Slaton sisters filmed the first season of 1000-Lb Sisters in May
2019. And in their late December 2019 interview with the magazine, Tammy and Amy Slaton hinted
that they've been taking their goal to become healthier seriously.
In addition to removing sugar from their diets, they reportedly embraced "low-carb, high-protein"
foods. They also began to exercise, with Tammy swimming, and Amy dancing and going for long
walks with her husband.
After their experience on the show, both sisters said their self-esteem has grown by leaps
and bounds. Amy said,
"I can go to the store and not worry about my looks because I feel good about myself
regardless of what other people say about me."
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