"My 600-Lb Life" is undoubtedly a success,
and many of the people who appear on it do lose weight. But it comes at a
cost. Keep watching for what the cameras never showed you on "My 600-Lb Life."
The line between fake and fact is often blurred when it comes to reality TV.
For instance, do we really believe that the
infamous Kardashian/Bentley fight wasn't just a tiny bit staged?
"Look, she's crying. Do you hear her crying? Like we care. I don't give a f---."
Subsequently, there have long been rumors that aspects of "My 600-Lb Life" may
be heavily fabricated. In fact, it's even been confirmed by some of the show's stars.
According to Christina Phillips — who appeared in the second season — producers thoroughly
edit the show to suit their agenda. When asked whether she now regretted aspects
of her appearance on "My 600-Lb Life," Christina told Starcasm:
"I used to because I was young and didn't realize
that the show would be edited in ways that weren't exactly true.
I had some hate in the beginning and it was because people didn't know the whole truth."
Unfortunately, reality TV contestants receiving online abuse is far too common, despite the fact
that all the contestants on "My 600-Lb Life" are living with serious medical conditions.
Thus, the producers' alleged decision to purposely fabricate what occurs on screen
may be partly responsible for the skewed public perception of patients. However,
Christina has learned not to let the haters faze her. She told Starcasm:
"I could explain myself to others until I was blue in the face and
it still wouldn't change anything. I am glad to finally be at the point
in my life where other people's opinion of me doesn't matter."
When the entire country had shut down due to the coronavirus outbreak in March 2020,
numerous TV and film productions halted their projects until it was safe to continue working
again. Somewhat startlingly, this was not the case for "My 600-Lb Life."
Filming for the show was still underway at a time when evading social distancing advice
would be extremely detrimental to the patients who appear on the series — many of whom have
medical conditions that increase their risk of suffering severe illness from the virus.
This decision to keep the cameras rolling led to heavy criticism from insiders,
as cast members reportedly expressed their anxiety about filming a TV show
during a pandemic. A source told The Hollywood Reporter:
"These cast members have a compromised immune system already. They're not OK.
They're not feeling comfortable. It's super dangerous and none of
us wants to be the person who gives it to the cast member."
Even more damningly, sources told the publication that many crew members
feared speaking out about the precarious working conditions due to a fear of getting fired.
NBC News argued that the production team's commitment to continue filming despite Austin,
Texas' "Stay Home — Work Safe" public order was indicative of the producers' callousness
towards the wellbeing of its stars. As such, the publication posits the patients are viewed as mere
vessels for entertainment. Eventually, the series did postpone filming toward the end of March 2020.
Food addiction is a serious illness, and Dr. Now's tough love approach is not always the most
beneficial for those with psychological disorders. As Psychology Today notes,
compassion, as opposed to tough love, is key to addiction recovery:
"Any addiction –- to food, to a substance, or to love –- is
chronic. [...] These are not problems that can be solved on a superficial level."
Subsequently, some former stars of "My 600-Lb Life" have accused producers of
overlooking their psychological wellbeing for the sake of raking in more views.
"She's always been there to give me what I want, and we both know it's killing me."
In 2021, Gina Marie Krasley — who appeared in Season 8 — died at the age of 30.
Prior to her death, she was in the midst of suing the show's producers for over $1 million.
In a series of explosive allegations, Gina said that the producers deliberately made
her eat vast quantities of food to depict her in a negative light for the purpose of entertainment,
putting her health at risk as a result. She also alleged that she did not receive any
psychological evaluation prior to her appearance on the show.
Gina's food addiction stemmed from childhood abuse, which resulted in psychological issues;
essentially, she used food as a coping mechanism for her trauma.
Her family also encouraged people to donate to mental health charities following her death.
He may come across as the affable doctor-next-door,
but Dr. Nowzaradan has been involved in multiple malpractice cases away from the
camera. He was even accused of leaving foreign objects in a patient's stomach.
Before he became a star on "My 600-Lb Life," Nowzaradan was sued by the mother
of a patient who died under his care following weight loss surgery in 2005.
According to Chron, Colleen Shepherd alleged that her daughter Tina, quote, "was not prompted
from a psychological standpoint to know the risks involved when you are grossly
overweight" ahead of the procedure. And the lawsuits didn't end there.
As reported by Radar Online, Nowzaradan performed laparoscopic [lah-puh-ruh-SKAH-pik] surgery
on a patient in 2015. The results were described as such:
"Within days of the procedure, plaintiff developed persistent extreme abdominal
pain and pressure to her lower abdomen inconsistent with post-operative pain."
The doctor had allegedly left a segment of tubing and a "stainless
steel connecter" in the stomach of the patient, who subsequently sought
over $200,000 for medical negligence. The lawsuit was ultimately dismissed.
Then, in 2018, Nowzaradan was hit with yet another lawsuit when a patient claimed that
they had been left "deformed" and in "extreme pain" after a botched abdominal surgery, according
to Radar Online. The individual requested $1 million in compensation. The lawsuit stated:
"The plaintiff no longer has a navel,
as a result of the procedure. The plaintiff's abdomen is deformed."
Again, the case was eventually dropped.
Dr. Now may have a whopping $6 million net worth, but the patients featured on "My 600-Lb
Life" aren't so handsomely rewarded for subjecting themselves to the
glare of the reality TV cameras and the judgment of the general public.
It works like this: patients are paid an initial $1,500 "flat appearance fee" and $2,500
to relocate to Houston. However, unlike TV actors who can profit off of their reruns,
"My 600-Lb Life" stars are not paid any royalties. Many of them cannot live on the
few thousand dollars that they are given, so some have taken to writing about their
experiences on the show to make extra cash. Chad Dean — who appeared on Season 4 — wrote
a memoir titled "I'm in Here Somewhere: Memoir of a Food Addict," in which he capitalized on
the success of his stint on the show. He told The Ashley's Reality Roundup:
"By the time my follow-up episode aired, I'd gathered a pretty large following on Facebook.
Soon, I began receiving messages [from fans who said] that they would love to
know more about my life and that I should write a book."
Nevertheless, the show does pay for its stars' weight loss surgery,
which is undoubtedly a huge plus. As Chad admits:
"Without [the show] I would be dead."
Although "My 600-Lb Life" covers many causes of food addiction, there is a hidden reason behind
some of the patients' sizes that isn't properly explored. The phenomenon known as "feederism,"
whereby someone purposely overfeeds their partner, is responsible for certain stars' weight.
For instance, Zsalynn Whitworth — who was featured
in Season 2 — was encouraged to eat excessively by her husband Gareth.
"When I first met Zsalynn, it was her size that attracted me to her.
But now she's gotten so big it's impossible for us to do anything."
But that's not all. Prior to her appearance on the show, Zsalynn appeared on adult websites to
help fund her weight loss surgery. As she revealed in the documentary "All of Me",
her husband had been, quote, "shopping for a fat girl" online when they met,
illustrating the commodification of what she described as "bigger than just fat" bodies by
certain men — none of which is covered comprehensively on "My 600-Lb Life."
Zsalynn has said that while her ex was depicted in a negative light, the series did not adequately
reveal the extent of his controlling behavior. She said on an episode of "Where Are They Now?":
"I know a lot of people have had questions about if my husband is really as awful in real life or
if it was just editing, but to be honest, editing made him look like an angel. I feel like he loves
me in the only way he knows how. I feel like I probably deserve a different kind of love."
And she was right — Zsalynn divorced her husband and found love with a new man.
As with many reality shows, "My 600-Lb Life" relies on a substantial element of shock value to
draw in viewers. Most notably, the series is famed for its uncomfortable and explicit shower scenes,
reducing patients with food addiction to a vulnerable state of undress.
Many stars have called out the producers for allowing such scenes, branding them humiliating.
In a succession of graphic shots, Nicole Lewis was shown being hosed
off and then patted dry with talc by her boyfriend during her Season 5 appearance.
She told Rover Radio that she was initially reluctant to film the scenes
and was pushed into disagreeable scenarios out of fear of being denied treatment. She said:
"Oh my goodness, I was definitely embarrassed. [...] I know I needed help, and my main focus was
to do it for my children. And so when they came to my house, they were like, 'Okay, we have to do
a shower scene, we have to do real life stuff [...] for you to be a part of this process.'"
After debating whether to allow the crew to film such a private moment, she decided:
"It was either me not let them do that and not get the help and possibly not be around
another year or just let it happen and get the help from the doctor."
Meanwhile, Season 3's Pauline Potter told CNN that her experience was "a
little bit degrading," but she felt the risk was worth it.
In Season 7, viewers were treated to one of the most moving "My 600-Lb Life" episodes to date:
Destinee LaShaee, who had come out as a trans woman, was enabled to live her truth through
gastric sleeve surgery. But while Destinee's journey is portrayed as inspiring on-screen,
her experience away from the cameras was allegedly one of shocking bigotry.
As reported by The Sun, Destinee claimed in a lawsuit that the producers were transphobic
and forced her "to shave her face" on camera. She alleged in legal documents:
"The filming of her shaving was so painful that it was not made part of the show.
The stress led Plaintiff to have a breakdown in which she kicked the producers out of her home,
and threatened to kill them and herself."
Additionally, she claimed that the show's purported interest in patients' psychological
wellbeing is a facade, and that she was only given a single session in therapy "so that it
could be filmed and be part of the show." This substantiates previous claims of the
show's commitment to patients' mental health being nothing more than showbiz artifice.
In her legal filings, Destinee sought $1 million in damages.
She isn't the first person to sue the show over claims that producers lied. In 2020,
Starcasm reported that the family of Season 6's
LB Bonner sued the producers after Bonner's subsequent suicide. They claimed that he was
also given just "one therapy session," contrary to the producers' promises.
Bonner's death is not the only one to be associated with the show. In fact,
a shocking number of "My 600-Lb Life" stars — 11
as of the making of this video — have died following their appearances on the show.
The first was Season 1's Henry Foots, who died in 2013 from undisclosed causes. Then,
in 2017, Robert Buchel died during the filming of Season
6. He suffered a heart attack before undergoing weight-loss surgery.
"Rob's heart was so big that his body couldn't contain it."
Another Season 6 star, Lisa Fleming, died a year later. Her daughter explained to TMZ
that Lisa's untimely death was unrelated to her weight. And yet another star,
Kelly Mason of Season 7, died during filming. Dr. Now paid tribute to Kelly,
saying that her death was "not completely unexpected" due to her health problems, but added:
"Her weight loss was on track, so this is not
a result of her starting to go back to her old habits."
But there are a number of stars for whom weight loss surgery was a driving cause in their demise.
For instance, Season 8's Coliesa McMillian died shortly after her appearance on the show.
According to TMZ, she was placed on life support following weight loss surgery in 2020
and sadly didn't make it. The most recent death as of this video was Season 1's Ashley Randall,
who died in October 2021 at the age of 40.
Some "My 600-Lb Life" stars have alleged that the producers are more interested in ratings than
the health of patients. During a Facebook Q&A, Season 8 star Steve Assanti [uh-SAHN-tee] made
a number of incendiary claims, alleging that the crew forced their cameras into his life
regardless of whether he was physically and mentally able to perform. He admitted:
"Is it exhausting? Yes. Very. So exhausting to the point that there are days that I don't
even want to film. And I try to avoid being filmed, but the camera crew — especially
one of them in particular — is so persistent that he will continue to knock on the door,
and knock on the door, and knock on the door until you can't stand it anymore."
He added that he couldn't share too many
details about the filming process because he feared he might be sued.
And he's not the only star to make such assertions. In 2020,
Jeanne Covey [JEEN KOH-vee], who appeared in the show's 7th season, sued the production team,
citing lack of concern for her health. As with previous claimants,
Starcasm reports that Jeanne claimed she was forced, quote, "to eat excessive amounts of food
on screen to portray her as someone who could not follow the diet," thereby reinforcing the
fatphobic stereotype of people with food addiction as greedy — all to the detriment of her health.
While the stars of "My 600-Lb Life" are often shown residing under dismal conditions,
the true extent of the squalor in which many patients live is not shown. For instance,
Jeanne Covey's home was certainly unhygienic, almost to a nauseating degree.
A Reddit user claimed that they were a camera operator on the series and
that it was the most disturbing experience they ever had shooting a show. They wrote:
"One family was moving out of their apartment, and we were shooting the move. They were very very
unsanitary. Instead of cleaning up their dog s--- in the small 2 bedroom apartment, they would put
plants on top of it. We had to use a mentholatum oil on our upper lips to withstand the stench."
The user went on to explain that the patient had
left their grandmother to sleep on a filthy bed. They went on to explain:
"When they went to remove the bed and flipped it over, thousands of bugs scattered out of the bed
all over the room. The 80-something year old woman was sleeping on a bed that was infested
with roaches and god knows what other bugs. It was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen."
Amber Rachdi has really turned their life around since appearing on "My 600-Lb Life,"
acquiring over 200,000 fans on Instagram and honing their
impressive makeup skills. But they say it's in no part due to the show.
On Facebook, Amber slammed the producers when replying to a fan's comment,
claiming they had a horrible experience on the show. Amber wrote:
"With all due respect to the folks who make this show their livelihood,
it was a crummy experience. They exert a certain kind of pressure and lack a human
touch sometimes [...] they start with a sort of stern demanding approach. [...] Like they
assumed we would be difficult and were rather forceful with their demands? It didn't feel good,
respectful, or mutually beneficial working with the production."
In an interview with Starcasm, the Season 3 star elaborated on those sentiments, alleging that the
production crew, quote, "acted like bullies." According to Amber, producers constantly
attempted to break their personal boundaries and, shockingly, used the threat of canceling
their surgery to intimidate them. They revealed: "The very first producer I worked with tried to
use this when I said I didn't feel comfortable showering in the nude on camera. Needless to say,
it didn't work, and so there I am, filmed in a pink sports bra and briefers in my opening act.
That was my first experience with the company, which is a hell of a rough introduction."
However, Amber went on to defend Dr. Now, branding him, quote,"truly wonderful."
We all love a "My 600-Lb Life" success story.
"Once the pain passed and I started healing, it was like a whole new world was opening up to me."
Seeing seriously ill patients transform dramatically as they go on to live their
best lives is truly heartwarming. Such drastic makeovers form the basis of many episodes,
but the cameras don't show us the less triumphant cases. On a number of occasions,
patients simply haven't been able to maintain their newfound physiques.
And Dr. Now is the first to admit that patients struggle to keep the weight off. A notable example
of this was Penny Saeger, who refused to lose weight and was still struggling in 2018, according
to InTouch — years after her episode aired all the way back in Season 2. Dr. Now told Houstonia:
"People come looking for a single solution to their problem, and sometimes the answer
is not what they want to hear. They think surgery is the solution for everything.
And it's not going to change people's behavior toward food."
Speaking with People, the doctor admitted that there have been several instances in
which helping "My 600-Lb Life" patients was simply beyond his control. He confessed:
"There have been a few patients I felt I could no longer help.
I will always be available if they need me. If they won't stick to the program,
at some point, I can longer help them and they are taking resources from someone else who needs it."
If you are struggling with an eating disorder, or know someone who is, help is available. Visit
the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline
at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).