The All You Can Eat Buffet: My 600 Pound Life All Episode Discussion

[non sequitur]

6 hours ago, bengaltoo said:

I agree, it's hard to watch.  Is it bad that I'm happy it's coming back for another season?  I've lost over 100 pounds myself and this show is part of my maintenance plan, to remind me where NOT to go.  I didn't do it through surgery though.

I really don't think these patients are prepared for how everything can change after such a huge weight loss.  I do wish they would talk more about the psychiatric/emotional aspects of this process they go through.

I enjoy this show also, but it's getting increasingly depressing and voyeuristic.

Congrats on a huge accomplishment!  It's very difficult to do on your own.  

I wish they would have an extended version where they cover the emotional issues.

[notyrmomma]

I'm going to try to post the  link, since it took me a few minutes to actually find the trailer: http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/my-600-lb-life/

Wow, 15 people (subjects? contestants?) and we will see twins again!

I like the show and all, but not gonna lie, I love snarking on it will all of you!

[Brooklynista]

^^wow. Most of this group looks too large to work on. This barely looks like it'll be fun to snark on. 

But I'm sure I'll struggle through. 

[Wings]

I have never watched this show.  Just watched the preview above.  Ohhhhhh, wow.  It looked like one of them had gangrene on his/her legs.  I put it on my DVR.  This will be morbid watching for me.   

[auntjess]

Didn't watch all of it, but that one woman doesn't look too fat on top, and it's all below her waist.
 

[Ocean Chick]

Wow.  Just.... wow.

[aliya]

On 12/14/2016 at 4:08 AM, non sequitur said:

Season 5 returns January 4.  There is a preview clip on the TLC website.  Just watching the preview is tough.

Whoa. No kidding the preview is rough. Sadly, I'm a terrible person and will be glued to the screen so that I don't miss any of it. 

[Barb23]

Wow. Was that one person being hosed down naked on a porch? That's a first. 

[Wings]

I just watched a bunch of these on demand.  Every episode is exactly the same right down to the dialog!    Even on Where Are They Now, same every time but they get skin removed instead of the by pass.   Does anything out of the ordinary ever happen?  I am shocked their hearts continue to pump. 

[ethalfrida]

I was talking with Billie Robbins today on Facebook. But someone mentioned that he AND a cousin were featured on the show. I do not remember a cousin at all. Does anyone have a link?

 

[ethalfrida]

I am watching a documentary on obesity. It costs 84 billion dollars to cover all the problems obesity creates. That is $263 per each U.S. citizen.

[auntjess]

I'm watching Britain's Fattest Man, and they pay for people to come every day to bathe him, and care for his skin, so the government pays about $80k+ a year for his care.
(This was 2014 I think, so not sure if he succeeded to the title when the "world's fattest man," also a Brit, lost weight.}
Haven't finished yet, it's a 2parter, but he's lost almost 300 by dieting, and trying to be able to stand.

 

[ethalfrida]

I watched that one again too. From other documentaries this obesity thing is a new phenomenon. It is hard to believe that someone would eat themselves into the inability to walk. 

[auntjess]

Several things about him puzzled me.
He was great about sticking to his diet, and seemed motivated, but then just seemed to give up.
When he finally stood for about a second, the doctors never followed up, and didn't seem to push him again, at last in what we saw.
Since they had the hoist, and a sling, (and wouldn't that have been great for Marla?), why not get him up that way, and have him gradually put more weight on his legs.
And his sister never visited him in the hospital.  It was close enough for doctors to come to his home, and even without a car or public transportation, surely the show people could take her.
Also, they spoke of family, so who else did he have?
Sad show, and lots of unanswered questions.

 

[aliya]

On 12/24/2016 at 11:00 PM, auntjess said:

I'm watching Britain's Fattest Man, and they pay for people to come every day to bathe him, and care for his skin, so the government pays about $80k+ a year for his care.
(This was 2014 I think, so not sure if he succeeded to the title when the "world's fattest man," also a Brit, lost weight.}
Haven't finished yet, it's a 2parter, but he's lost almost 300 by dieting, and trying to be able to stand.

 

Don't' ask how, but I am FB friends with Paul Mason, formerly Britain's fattest man. He lives in the States now because he couldn't get the skin surgery he needed in Britain. He recently had skin surgery for his upper body. It has not been easy for him.

[notyrmomma]

7 hours ago, aliya said:

Don't' ask how, but I am FB friends with Paul Mason, formerly Britain's fattest man. He lives in the States now because he couldn't get the skin surgery he needed in Britain. He recently had skin surgery for his upper body. It has not been easy for him.

How's he doing?  Is he able to keep the weight off so far?

[aliya]

22 minutes ago, notyrmomma said:

How's he doing?  Is he able to keep the weight off so far?

It appears he's kept the weight off, but he has had recurring bouts of cellulitis (he's in the hospital for that again right now) and other issues. Last year this time he had a problem with the hospital really paying attention to his condition, but he's switched hospitals and seems to get the right treatment when he has to go in.  His spirits seem high, he has a social circle, and loves to post clips from old UK comedy shows. : )

It's not easy when you've been so big. There appears to be years of surgeries and physical problems that come after the weight loss. None of these people have an easy road in front of them.

[notyrmomma]

25 minutes ago, aliya said:

It appears he's kept the weight off, but he has had recurring bouts of cellulitis (he's in the hospital for that again right now) and other issues. Last year this time he had a problem with the hospital really paying attention to his condition, but he's switched hospitals and seems to get the right treatment when he has to go in.  His spirits seem high, he has a social circle, and loves to post clips from old UK comedy shows. : )

It's not easy when you've been so big. There appears to be years of surgeries and physical problems that come after the weight loss. None of these people have an easy road in front of them.

I follow Charity from this show.  She lost a significant amount of weight (not all of it though) and is also having bad bouts with Cellulitis, she posted pictures yesterday.  It looks very painful!  

I have noticed that many of them seem to almost have more pain/issues after they lose the weight.  Either the sheer weight just masked the problems (they didn't move much, thus didn't feel the pain) or they have to face the pain head on without food to sooth them.  Either way, I find this fascinating.

[auntjess]

5 hours ago, notyrmomma said:

I have noticed that many of them seem to almost have more pain/issues after they lose the weight.  Either the sheer weight just masked the problems (they didn't move much, thus didn't feel the pain) or they have to face the pain head on without food to sooth them.

I remeber someone having a lot of joint pain, cause by the weight, but not being so apparent until the person was able to move around.

[spacefly]

I have a disease called Charcot Arthropathy. It is a complication of Neuropathy. My peripheral neuropathy is a complication from my Type 2 diabetes (15+ years). The disease destroys the bones in your foot causing complete structure failure as well as ulcers and a host of other complications. The disease can lead to amputation in many cases. I am not sure how someone on this show does not suffer from this. The one thing they all have going for them is that non weight bearing is the most successful treatment, many of them do not get out of bed so that would help slow the disease. I only weigh 185lbs so I am not in the same boat as these people. Charcot is a very misdiagnose disease and most of the time is Dx as cellulitis, ostemyelitis, gout or blood clot so maybe some do have it and it is just not diagnosed yet. 

[Christina]

On 12/14/2016 at 2:18 PM, notyrmomma said:

I'm going to try to post the  link, since it took me a few minutes to actually find the trailer: http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/my-600-lb-life/

Wow, 15 people (subjects? contestants?) and we will see twins again!

I like the show and all, but not gonna lie, I love snarking on it will all of you!

They get an awful lot of negative comments about showing these people naked, because it is done in such an exploitative way, and yet they persist. There have been people who have said they were no longer watching because they couldn't deal with the people being treated like freakshows. That preview shows that they certainly don't care about viewer feedback. It is really the worst part of the show for me. It's completely unnecessary and I think it's cruel. People are selling their privacy for a chance at surgery, and I don't need to see them naked.

I did like seeing Dr. Now trying to get the woman to see that she is killing someone by feeding them, and her staring blankly at him. It would be great to actually see a co-dependent relationship receive treatment and actually stick to a plan. The few times we saw it in the past, it always fell to the 600-lb person to cut off contact with the other one.

For the most part, I root for these people. It's only been a few, like Penny and Pauline, that I truly snark on. Both of them were crappy people and were going to be crappy people forever. Penny is never going to do better because she enjoys the pity and control she has over others. She's a narcissistic sociopath. Most seasons, I'm rooting for the people more than I'm frustrated with them. Seeing the one woman walking outside for the first time in years, pushing her walker and her brother walking behind her had me yelling, "You go girl!" at the TV. Then, reading here and seeing others encouraging them and calling bull on some of the excuses makes the show better. There have been times where I've felt I've missed something, only to read here that everyone else felt the same way. The PTV Community makes television viewing better.

[auntjess]

Who was the woman shown in the opening segment, where her sister tells their mother that she's trying to kill her?
I saw it, but can't remember what her name was.

[notyrmomma]

14 hours ago, auntjess said:

Who was the woman shown in the opening segment, where her sister tells their mother that she's trying to kill her?
I saw it, but can't remember what her name was.

Susan?

 

And who's watching with me tonight????

Edited January 4, 2017 by notyrmomma

[silverspoons]

1 minute ago, notyrmomma said:

Susan?

 

And who's watching with me tonight????

I'm watching. Our DVR is showing 3 new episodes, I assume it is just the 2 hour new episode with the twins? It also shows a 30 minute "new" episode with Olivia where are they now and a 90 minute episode with Susan called transformed?

[aliya]

1 hour ago, notyrmomma said:

And who's watching with me tonight????

I'll be there even tho I am sick as a dog and have had to take off from work!  

OMGoodness - I have the reruns on (I guess they are gearing up for tonight). I turned around from the computer just in time to see some woman flip her whole leg up in the air so her private parts can be cleaned. Mother of Mercy. I'm not easily shocked, but that was a surprise. 

[auntjess]

To answer my own question, it was on in a marathon of old ones this afternoon, and Ashley was the one with the hateful mother, who always made jokes about her, and put her down.

And I was partly wrong here.  It is Ashley with the hateful mother, but the ones in the opening segment are Susan, her sister, and her mother who did see the light.

Edited January 7, 2017 by auntjess

[Brooklynista]

2 hours ago, aliya said:

I'll be there even tho I am sick as a dog and have had to take off from work!  

OMGoodness - I have the reruns on (I guess they are gearing up for tonight). I turned around from the computer just in time to see some woman flip her whole leg up in the air so her private parts can be cleaned. Mother of Mercy. I'm not easily shocked, but that was a surprise. 

They showed that again?? I thought they'd  deleted that scene of her beautiful grace, turning up her lady bits to her family for the royal cleansing. 

Gave me the shivers.

[ethalfrida]

8 hours ago, aliya said:

I'll be there even tho I am sick as a dog and have had to take off from work!  

OMGoodness - I have the reruns on (I guess they are gearing up for tonight). I turned around from the computer just in time to see some woman flip her whole leg up in the air so her private parts can be cleaned. Mother of Mercy. I'm not easily shocked, but that was a surprise. 

So, you've meet Marla.. I frantically searched for eye AND brain bleach on that one.

[non sequitur]

On 1/4/2017 at 1:06 PM, aliya said:

OMGoodness - I have the reruns on (I guess they are gearing up for tonight). I turned around from the computer just in time to see some woman flip her whole leg up in the air so her private parts can be cleaned. Mother of Mercy. I'm not easily shocked, but that was a surprise. 

You must have loved the rest of Marla's story!

[auntjess]

Is there any reason to watch the extended version, especially as it's actually the same length?
If anyone finds anything significant, please let us know.
I wastch some of the extended Brandi & Kandi, and just saw a couple of notes pasted in, of no interest.

[Wings]

I watched the twins.  I wonder how many of his patients have died; I know they would never air it but there must be some.  Anyone know?

[auntjess]

Didn't Henry, an early season man, die?
Here's the story. http://us.blastingnews.com/showbiz-tv/2016/10/my-600-lb-life-henry-foots-weight-loss-legacy-gastric-bypass-skin-removal-yea-or-nay-001189787.html

Edited January 13, 2017 by auntjess

[Wings]

Thanks @auntjess

I would like to know if they lost someone on the operating room table or at anytime during the filming and could not air that episode.  I would not be surprised if this has happened.

I just started watching this after having seen some random episodes.  Interesting and not surprising that when they can no longer eat the way they had a depression sets in.  Of course.  Food was their only source of happiness. Just never thought about that, maybe because the random episodes I watched didn't effect those particular people.  Marla just got nasty.   She would have fit in on Tyra's Top Model show with her attitude.  LOL!  

[dahling]

Here's an article regarding a lawsuit Dr. Now was involved in over the death of a 500+ lb patient.  The article also references the death of a different patient who was 800+ lbs. http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Gastric-bypass-patient-s-mother-sues-over-2005-1842140.php

[CousinOliver]

25 minutes ago, dahling said:

Here's an article regarding a lawsuit Dr. Now was involved in over the death of a 500+ lb patient.  The article also references the death of a different patient who was 800+ lbs. http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Gastric-bypass-patient-s-mother-sues-over-2005-1842140.php

The Renee Williams case was televised in a special called Half Ton Mom that followed Williams.  They covered her death and funeral.

Pre 600 lb Life, there were two other (Dr Now) "Half Ton" shows: Half Ton Dad, that followed Kenneth Brumley, and Half Ton Teen, which followed Billy Robbins.  Variants of these shows with slightly changed names and some different scenes were televised in the UK (and perhaps elsewhere.)  

Half Ton Teen had two follow ups, Survival of the Half Ton Teen (which I'd LOVE to see again, it's never rerun) and Half Ton Teen: Confronting Addiction.  There were two other participants in the Half Ton Teen series, John Wayne Debose, who had surgery, and Murphy Springs, who died before getting surgery.  

As mentioned, Henry Foots, of season one, died many years after surgery from a crash following a heart event (I believe.)  

In Half Ton Mom it was said that the family wanted to continue filming.  I'd guess another tragedy like that would be produced, or not, based on the amount of footage they had at the time of death and/or and the willingness of the family to continue to allow taping. 

[okerry]

Yes, I'd really like to see an update on Billy Robbins and his controlling, narcissistic mother. Her problems were just as severe as his but in a different way. 

[Brooklynista]

17 hours ago, okerry said:

Yes, I'd really like to see an update on Billy Robbins and his controlling, narcissistic mother. Her problems were just as severe as his but in a different way. 

Ugh! Billy and his blubbering. "You said if I was a good boy, you'd buy me a video game". Mind you he was at least 19yrs old when the cameras were following him.

He doesn't give up a lot of info online but I'd guess his mother made sure he never lost a pound lest she lose her "baby boy".

[Aw my lahgs]

On 13/1/2017 at 0:54 PM, dahling said:

Here's an article regarding a lawsuit Dr. Now was involved in over the death of a 500+ lb patient.  The article also references the death of a different patient who was 800+ lbs. http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Gastric-bypass-patient-s-mother-sues-over-2005-1842140.php

Sounds like she was only looking for money. When you're well over 500 lbs, every day can be your last. Surgery is a last resort. You just KNOW there are risks, but you're willing to take a shot because it's pretty much the last chance you have.

[mamadrama]

I got bored one day and looked up Joe. (Kind of a feminine looking man, lived with his mama, met and proposed to a woman online and then invited Dr. Now to the wedding, etc. etc.) He still seems to be with the woman (can't remember her name for the life of me) but in looking up HIM I fell down a rabbit hole and found his mother on Facebook. 

Now, Mama must be in her 60s. She LOOKS like she's in her 70s but that could be deceiving. And she's in a wheelchair. She has apparently, however, found herself a boytoy from India. He's about 20. Her FB page is private now but it was public and she encouraged fans of the show to befriend her and comment. (I would never share this if I'd actually cyberstalked someone's private business.) They exchanged lots of lovey dovey messages back and forth and she has even taken his name now. I guess that means they are married. The fans of the show, and her real friends and family, were commenting and telling her that he was just using her for a  green card. I guess that's why she finally made it private. 

Hey!! A 90 DAY FIANCE crossover perhaps??? :-P

It was all so bizarre. 

[okerry]

mamadrama, that's a crossover made in reality TV show heaven! I'd watch! And if the boytoy turns out to be a little person who weighs 600 pounds but is a great dancer - and on and on!

[mamadrama]

11 hours ago, okerry said:

mamadrama, that's a crossover made in reality TV show heaven! I'd watch! And if the boytoy turns out to be a little person who weighs 600 pounds but is a great dancer - and on and on!

Oh, we can only hope!

[Armchair Critic]

On 1/15/2017 at 6:53 AM, mamadrama said:

I got bored one day and looked up Joe.

I remember I gave him a side eye for his wedding gofundme account. That is some juicy info about mama and her boytoy.

 

Now I looked and saw this on his Facebook

Today a individual decided to try and bully Joe with a picture from his first episode. Joe was naked in this picture and I find that inappropriate. Joe has issues with his body just like most of us do and it makes him upset to be reminded of his failures.

Edited January 18, 2017 by Armchair Critic

[leighroda]

I do think it's wrong of TLC to exploit the people by the quintessential shower/bath scene in every episode... but I'm not sure that you can be so outraged when it is brought back up when you put it out there to begin with. That being said I also don't know what was said along with the picture.

[TurtlePower]

On 1/18/2017 at 11:24 AM, leighroda said:

I do think it's wrong of TLC to exploit the people by the quintessential shower/bath scene in every episode... but I'm not sure that you can be so outraged when it is brought back up when you put it out there to begin with. That being said I also don't know what was said along with the picture.

Don't know if it's been said, but I notice they put up a brand new clear shower curtain for each scene. You can still see the folds in the plastic as it was just taken out of the package and is also perfectly clean.

I've seen a lot of stuff as a LEO/EMT but I cannot bear to watch them being cleaned by family members. 

[Vicky8675309]

I'm not sure where to put this but after watching the most recent episode (Kristen's [I think that is her name] story) I wondered about her mother (and son) having to wipe her bottom for her. The more food one eats the more wastes one excretes. I think that should have led them to not let her eat so much however she was such a whiny shouty person I can almost see where wiping her butt may be easier then listening to her. 

Also, how do 600# women deal with menstruation? I imagine tampons would be a problem and that pads would also be a problem. I wonder what they do.

[gonecrackers]

9 hours ago, Vicky8675309 said:

I'm not sure where to put this but after watching the most recent episode (Kristen's [I think that is her name] story) I wondered about her mother (and son) having to wipe her bottom for her. The more food one eats the more wastes one excretes. I think that should have led them to not let her eat so much however she was such a whiny shouty person I can almost see where wiping her butt may be easier then listening to her. 

Also, how do 600# women deal with menstruation? I imagine tampons would be a problem and that pads would also be a problem. I wonder what they do.

I'm not sure they do menstruate at that weight, or maybe it depends on the person. I recall Lupe, I believe, was the one who after losing some weight in hospital started to menstruate on the way home. She thought she injured herself because she hadn't had her period in a very long time so didn't anticipate it.

[aliya]

On 1/14/2017 at 6:00 PM, Nutella said:

Sounds like she was only looking for money. When you're well over 500 lbs, every day can be your last. Surgery is a last resort. You just KNOW there are risks, but you're willing to take a shot because it's pretty much the last chance you have.

It doesn't help not to go to your followup visits, either. 

My stepfather was a litigator and did his fair share of medical malpractice cases. A doctor can mess you up, and they deserve to be sued when they do. On the other hand, patients have their own responsibilities. Being 500 lbs is a risk factor for many things, including surgery. The woman was lucky someone even agreed to do surgery on her. Too bad it appears that she didn't do her part  afterwards. Kind of reminds me of the Haitian woman who checked herself out of the hospital because she knew better than the medical professionals.

[auntjess]

ThW There's a Facebook page for My 600 lb life viewing & discussion group (as opposed to official show page,) and the wife of an upcoming 600 pounder is there.
Her name is Roni something, and I didn't see husband's name.
She's worrying about comments, but people are pointing out that that's what the page is for.
So when we have a wife of that name, you might check it out.

[Ruby Slippers]

On Wednesday, January 25, 2017 at 8:04 PM, Armchair Critic said:

Just starting and it looks like we've got a whiner....

Just caught this one this evening. I know she, like most of the people on this show, had horrible trauma as a teen, but lord! Her constant griping and crying and ingratitude made me want to shut her down. I hope they do a follow-up on her. Would like to see if she can be a nice person once she reaches her goal weight.  

[notyrmomma]

11 hours ago, Ruby Slippers said:

Just caught this one this evening. I know she, like most of the people on this show, had horrible trauma as a teen, but lord! Her constant griping and crying and ingratitude made me want to shut her down. I hope they do a follow-up on her. Would like to see if she can be a nice person once she reaches her goal weight.  

I bet not!  She will use some other excuse to whine.