Untimely deaths, unexpected complications, and unsolicited photos. Experiences during
and after "My 600-lb. Life" can be even more daunting than how they appear on screen.
"My 600-lb Life" receives a lot of praise for helping patients turn their
lives around. In the process, however, it depicts an inaccurate portrayal of
bariatric surgery. Doctor Colleen Tewksbury explained the following
in her published research on bariatric surgery and nutrition care processes.
"What you see on these extreme shows are only one
small component of what it is actually like for patients."
For example, one of the many aspects of the surgery viewers may miss or not know
from "My 600-lb Life" is that patients can still gain the weight back after surgery.
According to Mayo Clinic, for the most sustainable post-surgery results,
patients must completely change their lifestyle, from what they eat
to how active they are. Tewksbury echoed these sentiments in her study, writing,
"The surgery is not a cure. Weight management care is long-term and requires life-long follow-up."
Per Penn Medicine News, in their program, patients are typically closely monitored
for about 90 days post-surgery, but care doesn't stop there. They're also provided with a support
network and resources that they can easily access. Unfortunately, many patients on "My
600-lb Life" gained the weight back or succumbed to their addictions after their time on the show.
It'd be easy for someone to see bariatric surgery as a magic cure that will change
their lives overnight after watching "My 600-lb Life". This is mostly because more good stories
make the headlines than the bad ones. But in reality, the surgery is not a catch-all. Even
with post-surgery supervision, complications may still occur. Amber Rachdi, who lost up to 400
pounds after her surgery, detailed her experience with some fans in an extensive Q&A on her Facebook
page. When asked how long it took for her body to start operating like it once did, she replied:
"Hair started coming back in after about 10 months, stopped falling out after 8.
I had hecka bad acne for about a year. [...] It just takes time. Hang in there!"
Another former participant who had serious complications was Coliesa McMillian,
who died from the issues she faced after her surgery. Although she lost 150 pounds from
her starting weight on the show of 643 pounds, she'd had a prior heart attack. Post-surgery,
McMillian hemorrhaged, was septic, and ended up in a medically-induced
coma before recovering. Several months later, however, she sadly passed away.
"Food makes me so happy, that just seeing and smelling it starts to
help me feel better. And helps with my anxiety."
Not only is there a possibility of complications post-bariatric surgery, but patients must undergo
strict dietary restrictions for five to six weeks afterward to ensure the best results. Prescribed
by Dr. Now, some extremes include not even being able to consume certain vegetables. And with a
diet that has such extreme restrictions, there are sure to be some side effects.
Post-surgery patients also have to eat small amounts of food at a time and at a slow pace.
Not adhering to these guidelines can result in vomiting and, in some cases, eating disorders.
While a liquid diet is a go-to, some people don't recognize the high amount of calories
in some non-solids, such as milkshakes and sweetened juices. "Dumping syndrome"
can occur if a patient eats too many sugary foods, leading to uncomfortable symptoms like
cramping and diarrhea. Another possibility is developing sensitivities to foods that
they used to be able to eat. In some cases, gluten or lactose intolerance is a result.
Unfortunately, death is a
tragedy that's taken place on "My 600-lb Life," as at least 10 participants have
died since its premiere. Take Season 1's Henry Foots. He did everything he was supposed to do,
going from 715 to 275 lbs. But just when things were going well,
Foots experienced personal troubles, including his father's death. He was also responsible
for the death of a woman when the bus he was driving crashed into another vehicle
and he ran into the pedestrian waiting on a corner. Foots apparently had a "medical
episode" prior to the crash. He died about a year later. The cause of death is unknown.
Gina Krasley also died at age 30, just weeks after announcing she was
immobile due to an illness. Then there's Season 6's James Bonner,
who committed suicide in 2018. Per the New York Post, his family filed the first
lawsuit in a parent suit against the show. Season 5's James King is another patient who
tragically died at age 49. Along with his wife, he was survived by two sons and four daughters.
Being that "My 600-lb Life" has been on the air for as long as it has,
one would assume the patients receive handsome checks for their participation. Yet,
even while all medical expenses from the gastric bypass surgery are taken care of,
the participants are only paid an appearance fee of $1,500 for the entire year of being
on the show. Additionally, they're only given a $2,500 stipend to move to Houston.
For context, the average rent for an apartment in Houston is $1,263 and gastric bypass surgery
averages around $23,000. Most importantly, however, Dr. Now is reportedly rolling in dough.
He is allegedly worth $6 million. However, per Houstonia, Dr. Now isn't getting rich off these
surgeries. He went on record saying the following about his compensation for the procedures.
"Looking at the moral obligation that we've got, you see somebody who has no
life who could have a life. We don't need to be rich. We do make a living,
but we don't need to worry about making a living out of every patient we see."
On the show, participants frequently detail being victims of abuse. Season 6's Schenee Murry,
for example, entered "My 600-lb Life" at nearly 700 lbs. What viewers learned, however, was that
Murry gained all of her weight by finding comfort in food after a traumatic experience as a child:
"There was one time where, we was at my uncle's house and I was molested by my cousin."
On the show, Murry explained,
"Inside, I felt terrible, but I just hid all my feelings in. I started sneaking food right
after that incident. Food made me feel better [...] so then I started putting on weight,"
Similarly, Season 7's Mercedes Cephas also had a tragic past. She revealed how her downward
spiral into destructive eating occurred after she had been sexually abused by a family member
from a young age. In addition to the rest of her siblings suffering the same fate,
Mercedes had to deal with the extra pressure of taking care of her mom when she got older.
And then there's Doug Armstrong,
who turned to food for comfort after being abandoned by his mother.
"My dad did the best he could — he was in the military, though,
so he was away a lot of the time."
On the show, Armstrong elaborated,
"And when I was 8, a nanny's son who was older decided to have an inappropriate relationship
with me ... So I dealt with the trauma of being abused by eating, and I started to gain weight."
While "My 600-lb Life" is a true medical journey with actual surgeries being performed,
it's still a television show that answers to ratings. Nothing showed that more
than in 2020 when Season 8's Gina Marie Krasley filed suit against Megalomedia,
the studio that produces the series. She claimed that the show's producers were
negligent and intentionally caused her emotional distress. She also said that they forced her to
consume tremendous amounts of food to further her out-of-control eating narrative and to
depict her as someone who "could not follow the diet." Krasley claimed that the show did
not provide mental health resources or give her a psychological evaluation upon arrival.
She wasn't the only cast member who took issue with how Dr. Now and Megalomedia ran operations,
though. Nine other suits were filed, which a court consolidated into one. Among those
was Season 6's Alicia Kirgan. Her suit stated the following:
"Plaintiff was provided a five-question mental health survey a couple of hours
before her procedure that asked questions with true or false answers. If she answered
one of the questions 'incorrectly,' the producers would take the form away and
give her another until she answered all of the questions 'correctly.'"
Forcing patients to eat
excessively while on camera is not the only accusation of bad ethics the "My 600-lb Life"
production team has faced. Season 7's Destinee Lashaee — the first trans woman to appear on
the reality series – filed a suit against the show, alleging she was promised mental health
treatment. However, she was only provided one therapy session to address her grief. According
to court papers obtained by The Sun, Lashaee levied serious accusations against the show,
including fraud and emotional distress. As just one example, her court papers included
details about her experience during production, in which she was “pressured to shave her face":
"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."
Lashaee later died in February of 2022, although her cause of death was not revealed.
While "My 600-lb Life" has a devoted fan base, the notoriety it's gained over the
years has unfortunately made some patients become targets of online harassment. One participant,
Steven Assanti, faced problems after he left the show, got married, and became a stepfather.
"It's been nothing but harassment towards, me,
my wife, and my family, and it sickens me to the core."
Steven said to Starcasm,
"All I ask is for people to get a life and move on because not everything you
see on television is accurate but small-minded folks will continue to believe that it is."
Similarly, Kathryn Lemanski, the fiancée of cast member Robert Buchel,
was sent offensive images after he died.
"I've gotten more [lewd] pics in my Facebook than the porn industry, I'm not kidding."
This is the unfortunate reality of people who appear on television,
even if they were only seeking help and not necessarily fame and fortune.