TLC reality sensation My 600-lb Life follows women and men who all first appear on the
show as morbidly obese, and attempt to shed the pounds through gastric bypass surgery
and an extreme lifestyle change.
But how did the stars become so dramatically overweight in the first place?
Here's the real story.
For some, it may be tempting to judge the stars of My 600-lb Life, and put the blame
squarely on their shoulders.
That's because a lot of people think that maintaining a healthy body weight is as simple
as balancing the calories taken in and calories burned.
"My whole world is falling apart."
But the problem with that thinking is that there's more to the story than meets the eye,
according to the show's physician, Dr. Now.
In an article for Obesity Help, he wrote,
It may be a seriously compassionate approach, but it's also true.
That's why Dr. Now does his best to help anyone who comes asking for it.
He continued,
If you're unfamiliar with the psychology that's involved with the patients on My 600-lb Life,
it can be extremely confusing to see family and loved ones bringing the show's stars all
kinds of unhealthy food.
For example, on Amber's episode, her boyfriend helped her buy whatever she wanted at the
grocery store, even though she could barely fit in the car.
"I do feel guilty about bringing the food, but at the same time it's, it's so hard to
stop."
Then on Laura's episode, her family went out to eat with her, and brought her a platter
of fried food even though she was in a wheelchair and on oxygen because of her weight.
You might think they could just stop, especially when they can see how deeply their loved one
is struggling.
But many enablers like being needed and are afraid to rock the boat and cause more problems.
"I just keep my mouth shut because I don't want him to get mad at me."
Overeating from the start
It's been well-documented by the medical community that we are all highly influenced by our environment
as children.
By extension, the things that we look to for pleasure and nourishment at such a tender
age also loom large in our young brains, including food.
Dr. Now explained to Houstonia,
It logically follows, then, that when we encounter difficult scenarios as adults, it's not uncommon
to search for the same kind of comfort in familiar things like food, according to Dr.
Now.
"Sugar became the thing in my life with my grandmother, that I knew could make me feel
better when I was afraid or upset."
In the United States, you have to be at least 18 years old to buy tobacco products, depending
on the state you live in, and 21 to buy alcoholic beverages.
But there are no age restrictions on the foods you can purchase, nor is there a limit to
how much of it you can take home.
That means pretty much anyone can buy whatever foods they want, healthy or unhealthy, as
long as they have the cash.
"Because I can't stop myself from eating.
If there's any food in the house, I'll eat it, so we run out of food quickly."
Additionally, unhealthy food is available in an extraordinarily wide variety of places:
drive-throughs, grocery stores, restaurants, delis, and more.
There's no shortage of processed carbs, burgers and fries, potato chips, sugary drinks, cookies,
and candy at gas stations and pharmacies.
It seems like anywhere you look, there's a treasure trove of calorie-dense snacks.
That's why on most episodes of My 600-lb Life, viewers see the stars of the show moving through
the aisles of the grocery store, loading up their carts with foods that they know they
shouldn't be eating.
"We'll eat everything here, either today or by tomorrow."
Violence can have damaging effects on survivors, including leading to overeating.
Such was certainly the case for Kirsten, who was assaulted at a party when she was 17 years
old.
She remembered,
"And after that is when I started not caring about a lot of stuff.
And I kept eating, maybe I ate 'cause I was hoping to keep people away from me."
Kirsten's eating habits spiraled shortly thereafter, with violence he catalyst for binge eating.
There's a well-documented link between chronic overeating and poor mental health, according
to Science Daily.
Specifically, overeating is linked to an increased risk of both anxiety and depression, something
My 600-lb Life has profiled.
Many of the show's stars have battled with one or both of these diagnoses.
Justin opened up about how much he struggles with chronic anxiety and panic attacks, starting
from the moment he wakes up in the morning.
He confessed,
"And I have a lot of anxiety.
So when that first wave of pain hits me, I start to panic a little."
In order to cope with those feelings, he turned to food, which only made his situation worse
in the long run.
It got so bad that he became a shut-in, ordering everything he needed online just so he wouldn't
have to leave his house.
Growing up in a household where one or more parents are addicted to drugs and alcohol
can deeply traumatize children.
Additionally, children of addicts are about twice as likely to develop addictive behaviors
themselves, according to American Addiction Centers.
That was definitely the case for Nicole, who was already overeating when her parents became
addicted to cocaine, which led to their home becoming an unsafe place for her to live.
She remembered,
"When my parents were doing the drugs, I would get so mad and I would scream and holler at them. And they'd just ignore me."
Nicole would then shut herself in her room and cry and eat until she fell asleep.
By age 16, she weighed almost 400 pounds.
What's to blame?
It's easy to forget that addiction comes in many forms, whether it's to alcohol, drugs,
video games, or anything that allows people to activate their brains' pleasure centers
on demand.
Unfortunately, that also means that people who are susceptible to addiction have a harder
time experiencing "normal" everyday joys, according to a study conducted by Harvard.
And, of course, addiction is not an easy thing to break, so the results can be quite damaging
for addicts.
Food addiction is something that every single patient on My 600-lb Life is contending with.
That's because eating food triggers a dopamine response in the brain.
"She acts like an addict; her fix is food."
Some people engage in eating patterns that get that good, happy feeling activated...but
are unable to stop despite the consequences.
Too much of a good thing becomes a potential death sentence.
Change can be hard for anyone in all aspects of life, and it takes real work to completely
reboot your lifestyle.
But for the stars of My 600-lb Life, making those tough changes is a matter of life or
death.
Yet some patients struggle with adopting Dr. Now's diet and exercise plan on the show more
than others.
While the majority of the patients do eventually stick to the rules, get the weight loss surgery,
and work toward living a healthier life, some are more resistant to change.
For example, Penny, who Dr. Now once famously called, quote, "delusional," expected weight
loss surgery to be a magic solution to all her problems, and resisted doing things the
way she was told to.
"Where's my yellow brick road?
Why didn't I get it, 'cause I'm working hard, Dr. Now, and I'm being good."
The majority of the people on My 600-lb Life have had issues with their weight from a very
young age, usually due to traumatic events.
That wasn't the case for Marla, who didn't start gaining weight until she was solidly
in her 20s, after she became the victim of a horrible crime.
"I love the way it all tastes, I love the way it makes me feel.
It's my comfort."
As recounted by In Touch, Marla had tried to break up with her then-boyfriend but instead,
he kidnapped her and held her hostage at gunpoint.
When police tried to rescue her, her then-boyfriend shot two officers and escaped.
By the time they caught her fugitive ex, Marla was already up to 700 pounds, and had completely
shut herself off from the outside world.
Post-traumatic stress disorder can be linked to the development of an eating disorder,
according to the Psychiatric Times.
Marla's reaction to the trauma of crime is not uncommon.
There are a lot of factors at play when it comes to how people become obese, according
to Stanford Health Care.
Obviously, one is diet: how much food you eat on a daily basis, as well as what kind
of foods you consume.
Your metabolism also plays a role, as hormones help you regulate your appetite and keep you
feeling satisfied.
And, of course, there is the genetic component, which means that everyone stores fats and
processes food a little differently.
The kind of lifestyle you live also has a hand in determining your body weight.
If your work involves doing a very physical job, you're going to naturally burn more calories
than someone who sits at a computer every day and doesn't have an exercise regimen.
And when it comes to the patients on My 600-lb Life, many of them are too large at the start
to move much at all, let alone have an active lifestyle.
For example, Ashley was barely mobile during her episode, and she relied primarily on her
5-year-old son to help with the majority of her day-to-day tasks.
"It makes me feel guilty because he's five, he should be playing with toys and watching
TV.
I should be taking care of him."
In earlier episodes of My 600-lb Life, therapy wasn't discussed as an essential component
of the weight loss process, at least in front of the cameras.
But as the show moved into later seasons, Dr. Now is more often shown telling patients
that to lose weight and work the program successfully, they need to go to therapy to deal with their
issues.
"You're priority, and you have to take care of you."
But not all of the show's stars are particularly enthusiastic about sitting down with a mental
health professional, and facing the real source of their pain.
For example, Ashley was initially hesitant to go to therapy during her episode, which
impeded her weight loss.
But after a breakthrough session with a therapist, she realized how important it was to confront
those issues.
She said on the show,
"But I know there is a lot from my past I'm going to have to face if I want to get my
anxiety under control."
After that, her weight loss was jump-started.
Despite the fact that fatphobia is a reality in society, according to the International
Journal of Eating Disorders, there are plenty of folks who are attracted to people with
larger bodies.
"I'm thankful for the support from my boyfriend.
He is the kind of guy that prefers bigger women."
But sometimes, a person's desire for a certain body type can be harmful for their partner,
especially if they're not sensitive to their partner's needs.
Perhaps the most memorable instance of this on My 600-lb Life is Zsalynn, who wanted to
change her lifestyle so she could literally save her own life.
Her now ex-husband, Gareth, wasn't supportive of her journey, and the couple was forced
to end their marriage.
But it seems Zsalynn wanted to shed all of her excess baggage.
"He didn't want me to lose the weight.
And I didn't deserve to feel bad about choosing my health."
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more List videos about your favorite shows are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.