chopperchopperbell

Dillon looked like a prisoner to me. He can't get out from under his mother's thumb, and the depression was palpable. I actually felt worse for him than I did for Pauline. He has his whole life ahead of him. The big wedding for Joe was dumb. I got married at the courthhouse 20 (almost 21) years ago, and I've never had any regrets. People who don't have jobs should not insist on a big wedding. That being said, Joe seemed like he was a kind (albeit naive) person. His mother seemed mentally stunted. I feel like a lot of these people are trapped by depression/mental illness/developmental disabilities. It's like they're trapped and just can't think of a way to get out.

I'm not sure what to think about Dottie. She struck me as being extremely depressed. Feeding your kid dinner from a can is a lot less work than making him a healthy meal. I guess I understand why Dottie does the things she does---she's depressed. And who wouldn't be depressed, your child is severely disabled for 12 years and then DIES, and you weigh 500+ lbs. That alone is depressing. Landon probably doesn't talk because his mother ignores him. When people are depressed doing much of anything feels like too much. It is sad, but in Dottie's case I do think she was justified in being an emotional wreck. I think Dr Now has a soft spot for her. I hope she finds her way out of the darkness. June was just mean. Usually we can root for the ones who are succeeding, in June's case I didn't really care. The surgery can't fix nasty bad attitudes.

The episode is up on Amazon now, yay! I liked Nikki and her family. I didn't like that Marc ate a dessert in front of her, and the fact that he is obese makes me worry that he won't be good for her long term success. Very sad about her friend Michael dying. I wish her and her family the best.

I will look there thank you! I usually buy the episodes from Amazon but for some reason this episode is not up yet.

I don't have cable and I'm not seeing this episode on Amazon. Any idea on where I can watch it? Thank you!

I have an obese daughter, and it really is more complicated than just having "bad eating habits." I have 4 children, 3 of them were normal weight or skinny (I had one son who wore slim pants for years) and one daughter who started getting obese around age 3. The child who was obese was less active, and enjoyed the carbs more than her siblings. The differences were not huge, and they all ate the same foods. I really feel like obesity in many cases is related to genetics. People don't like to hear that, because it makes it seem as though those who are fat are lazy or weak. Sometimes it really just is in your genes! I feel like, in order for someone to reach 600 lbs, there must be something wrong with them. If you took a skinny person, locked them in a prison cell and tried to feed them that much food, at some point their bodies would naturally say NO MORE. And they would stop eating. For some people, the body seems to be able to accommodate the extra food, and many of these people on this show are true addicts. Whether it's food, alcohol, shopping, whatever....they have crossed over into an addiction. But I digress. As the mom of an obese child I feel like I am being constantly judged. People assume I'm feeding my child garbage, and it's not true. She grew up alongside her thin siblings, eating the same foods. As I said, the 2 differences I noticed is that she was less active, and seemed to gravitate to the carbs. Otherwise it was not much different.

I thought Chad looked much older than 42. Some people don't age well I guess. That being said, if you have fat to fill in your wrinkles, it makes you look younger. So it makes sense that losing weight will make your wrinkles show more.

I enjoyed this show. Chad's family seems really sweet, but his wife was looking unhappy towards the end. Not sure if it's because she liked having Chad around when he's not working? I thought taking his family on the road would be a disaster, but the kids didn't seem to mind, and it worked out well in the end. The whole family seems really sweet. I hope things continue to improve. Teretha was a mess. I felt sad her husband on dialysis was taking care of her, and not the other way around. Seeing her mom just as obese and in a wheelchair makes me think this is the example that was set for her. I think she enjoys being helpless and being waited on hand and foot by other people.

I thought Brittani was adorable with her dimples. What a positive and bubbly person. Good for her. I don't understand why her husband is so big. He should be eating the same foods she is, if for nothing else, to show his support. He looked over 400-450 lbs to me. Sean was just a mess. I agree with the Munchausen by Proxy diagnosis. I also think Sean has some kind of developmental disability. I thought at first maybe he was r*******, but then I saw him crocheting the afghan and I thought, maybe not? Although you would think he would express some sort of interest in the internet or reading or doing something besides crafting. His soft spoken voice, his perpetual confusion (he doesn't know what a mango is? He doesn't know how to find out how his mom is doing?) had me suspecting an autism spectrum disorder. But I don't think it's just his Mom. I think a normal person would say NO MOM and find a way out of that prison. I figured sooner or later his mother would no longer be able to care for him, and he would have to learn to survive on his own. I hope he makes it, because I think the situation is tragic, and Sean looks really depressed. Who wouldn't be?

See I felt sorry for Steven, too. He may have been an incredible "insert expletive" but he was hurting. When he called his Dad screaming from rehab about how depressed he was, I'd believe it. The drugs, the food, they are all his attempts to deal with his mental illness. Dr. Now was wrong when he said that Steven's biggest problem was his pill addiction. His biggest problem is his untreated mental illness. Happy people don't drug themselves into suicide. I have no doubt Steven has a personality disorder, but you can tell by his utter lack of self-care that he's severely depressed. His apartment was disgusting, he never bathed or washed his hair, he didn't even bother to get dressed. He's given up. When he had to take a look at himself in the mirror, that is when I truly saw a glimpse of the real Steven hiding under all that anger. I don't think Steven will ever get well if his mental illness goes untreated. The pills are his attempt to self-medicate. So is the food. I also wondered what exactly they expected Steven to do at home all day with no friends and no TV (the fit he pitched about losing the TV was sad. Couldn't Dad skip a few pizzas and buy him a TV instead?) He must have been lonely and extremely bored. A lot of these phone calls to EMS and hospital rides were probably rooted in boredom, as well as pill seeking. Anyone left alone at home with no support system and little mobility isn't going to do well. Steven needs a long term care facility. Somewhere where he can be medicated, have his diet controlled, and keep him off meds. It would probably be cheaper to the tax payers vs. paying for daily ambulance rides and trips to the ER. As far as Justin, he acts like a little kid. His Dad also coddles him. I mentioned in the other thread, I wondered if he has Aspergers. Most parents encourage their children with Aspergers to be independent, but you end up with a Dad like Mr. Assanti who gives in to his children's every whim, and I can see how someone who has Aspergers might never grow up. I have a kid with Aspergers and I totally thought the same about Justin.

I can see now why he was given so many drugs in the hospital....to shut him up and keep him more passive. Steven I think is too far gone :-/ He needs serious mental help and he'll never be willing to admit to himself that he has a problem. A lot of these fat bed bound people are highly manipulative, getting the world to do their bidding while they never have to life a finger (literally). To me it's sad because they are literally the makers of their own hell.

I actually felt sorry for Steven :-/ The scene where he had pulled all his hair out really made me feel some empathy for him. As loathesome as he is as a person, he's obviously suffering. A happy person doesn't systematically pull their hair out like that. I also wondered how much his boredom must affect his mental health. He needed something to do with his time besides stare at a tablet screen. He is obviously depressed, addicted to drugs, and flirting with suicide. He probably wants to die as much as everyone else wants him to die. I agree with Dr Now's assessment that the best thing for this man is drug addiction treatment, along with a generous dose of psychiatric medication. The man is obviously mentally ill. I feel like treating his obesity without addressing his serious mental health problems would be like trying to treat the symptom without getting to the root of the problem. I thought the family dynamics were really bizarre. Both sons were emotionally/mentally (???) stunted. The father struck me as having a low IQ. The younger son actually made me wonder if he had Aspergers (which can lead to child-like behavior). There was just something really odd about the whole family. Low IQ/drug or alcohol abuse/mental illness.....just a trifecta that spells disaster.

I understand what you are saying, but to me it's no different than an alcoholic or drug addict who can't abstain. As a society we can feel compassion when an alcoholic or drug addict (or anorexic) are relapsing and struggling. When it comes to obesity it is simply seen as a personal weakness. All of the above are exhibiting poor judgment and selfish behavior, but there is no compassion for the guy who is eating too much food.

I always thought Amber was very pretty, even before the surgery. She is a knockout now. WTG Amber!

That is true. I know as a fat person if I'm enjoying a burger at a restaurant, I get dirty stares from people (mostly women) eating salads (LOL). I feel like they're jealous (and at the same time disgusted) that I'm eating something I'm enjoying, instead of feeling the need to deprive myself. I do enjoy myself when I go out to eat, because I don't go out to eat very often. But I always feel the judgment and I agree, it's probably because other people somehow feel they're exhibiting self-restraint, when I am not (because as I said, when I go out to eat I eat what I enjoy. I only eat out once every few weeks, so if I want a burger, I'll eat a burger. With a side salad and water to drink :) ).