S06.E05: Karina's Story

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

Karina's weight has placed a burden on her parents and driven a wedge between her and her sister. 

This is the regular episode thread.  It will be open after the US East Coast showing.

The description leads me to wonder is the wedge between Karina and her sister Karina's belly?  **rim shot**  I'll be here all week.  Tip your waitress. 

[frenchtoast]

**MOD NOTE PLEASE READ**

Let's avoid discussing how money is being snatched from the public's wallet for the participants unless it’s specifically revealed on the show. Anything else is pure speculation not to mention also a slippery slope toward talking politics.  

[ThisGirlAsh]

I think her blaming her weight loss on her 'problems' was over the top, but I def do wonder if this is a culture thing and that this was never talked about.  Everyone just seemed really weird emotionally.  I know for a lot of Mexicans mental health is a taboo topic (I'm Portuguese and it's the same deal) but they just seem so repressed.  The only emotion we got was from the parents at the start of the episode.  

[Aw my lahgs]

Karina’s sister is such a little bitch. 

[aliya]

So she wound up around 380 or so ?  Aren't there people going to work everyday who weigh that?  Why can't she get up and start walking?

'Cause she doesn't want to. She can lay in bed, get up when she wants, have people chauffeur her to the store, make meals, etc. I wouldn't get out of the chair, either.  We all do what gets us what we want. She wants exactly what she's got.

[Kyanight]

4 minutes ago, aliya said:

So she wound up around 380 or so ?  Aren't there people going to work everyday who weigh that?  Why can't she get up and start walking?

'Cause she doesn't want to. She can lay in bed, get up when she wants, have people chauffeur her to the store, make meals, etc. I wouldn't get out of the chair, either.  We all do what gets us what we want. She wants exactly what she's got.

I don't think it's as simple as that.    I think there are mental issues involved.    Just like you could say a homeless person wants to be homeless and stand on street corners with a sign so that they don't have to work - but life is never black or white.  I think any time you have something extreme there are underlying issues.

[Kyanight]

44 minutes ago, ThisGirlAsh said:

I think her blaming her weight loss on her 'problems' was over the top, but I def do wonder if this is a culture thing and that this was never talked about.  Everyone just seemed really weird emotionally.  I know for a lot of Mexicans mental health is a taboo topic (I'm Portuguese and it's the same deal) but they just seem so repressed.  The only emotion we got was from the parents at the start of the episode.  

I know exactly what you mean.  Everyone was so..... "deadpan!"  At the end of the show when Karina talked to her sister, it seemed so forced and artificial..... especially when the sister said she had to leave to pick up the kids and gave Karina this weird "air hug".  All I could think  was, "Wow - there isn't a whole lot of love there!"  But then I wondered how much of this behavior is due to being uncomfortable with the cameras and knowing they were being filmed.   I definitely believe that in Karina's case, she gained all of that weight not only because of emotional issues (whatever they might be) but also because of their cultural diet.  Everything the doctor said she had to avoid food-wise was everything the family cooked for meals.   I get very irritated when family members sit and eat fattening artery-hardening and oftentimes surgery treats in front of their family member who is trying so hard to lose weight.  I want to shake them and say "What the heck is the MATTER with you?"  It seems so selfish to me.   And nonsupportive. 

[Emkat]

I was absofuckinglutely amazed at how much pizza she ate with the balloon in her stomach!

[MsVixen]

I can understand Karina's sister being upset.  She wanted the parents to see their grandchildren's activities.  We don't know how many times the parents may have had to take care of Karina and miss something with the sister.  Now Karina's sister is seeing that happening with her children.  Yes, I'd be pissed also.  Plus, Karina's sister does NOT want to be an enabler!  Good for her!

Also, Karina is in that predicament due to her being freaking obese and continuous overeating.  All her own doing - out eating the darn balloon....

 

[ThisGirlAsh]

1 hour ago, Kyanight said:

I know exactly what you mean.  Everyone was so..... "deadpan!"  At the end of the show when Karina talked to her sister, it seemed so forced and artificial..... especially when the sister said she had to leave to pick up the kids and gave Karina this weird "air hug".  All I could think  was, "Wow - there isn't a whole lot of love there!"  But then I wondered how much of this behavior is due to being uncomfortable with the cameras and knowing they were being filmed.   I definitely believe that in Karina's case, she gained all of that weight not only because of emotional issues (whatever they might be) but also because of their cultural diet.  Everything the doctor said she had to avoid food-wise was everything the family cooked for meals.   I get very irritated when family members sit and eat fattening artery-hardening and oftentimes surgery treats in front of their family member who is trying so hard to lose weight.  I want to shake them and say "What the heck is the MATTER with you?"  It seems so selfish to me.   And nonsupportive. 

Yeah I mean her mother did cry at the start as I said because she felt guilty.  But besides that, as you said everyone was so deadpan and almost always 'neutral' all the time.  No overly happy, no overly sad/disappointed (not visibly anyways) just one constant emotion.  The only emotion we really saw this whole episode was from the sister and she was full of anger.  But Karina had this weird smirking/always almost about the laugh thing going on.  That's kind of why the whole mental health taboo thing came to mind, because when Dr. Now suggested therapy, I honestly thought she was going to laugh.  She had that reaction that people who don't believe in therapy/mental health care have when you suggest that they should see someone.

I said in the live chat thread that I get it, most of these families don't want to change their own eating habits.  But I just think it's pretty shitty when you're eating a 3oz portion of something while your family stuffs their faces full of Mexican food.  Does not make the weight loss journey easier, especially dealing with people this size.  If they really want to eat whatever they want, they should eat in another room or away from her at least.

[auntjess]

13 hours ago, Emkat said:

I was absofuckinglutely amazed at how much pizza she ate with the balloon in her stomach!

l couldn't believe it when Dr. Now said how her stomach had been so small, there was barely any room for food.
(Did they cheat, and have the crew eat the pizzas and brownies and wings?)

And again, "if I'm not OKd for surgery, I'll have wasted all my work."
No, you'll still be 92 pounds lighter, and able to get around better.
I was waiting the whole show for a walker to appear, and it was in the last 5 minutes that she used it.
 

Edited February 8, 2018 by auntjess
Dumb mistake made at 1AM.

[QuinnInND]

Her stomach stretched out like crazy. 

[WillowG]

How did her family get so many medical bills from her childhood asthma when her father was in the military?? 

Edited February 8, 2018 by PrincessPurrsALot
Fixed multi-layered spoiler box issue

[supahfly]

I am straight up tripping...two medium pizzas, 24 chicken wings, 2 boxes of cheese bread, and a double brownie plus chocolate for appetizers while she waited.  How can her stomach hold that??

Her family doesn’t owe her to diet.  She has to find that will on her own .  

[WillowG]

Haha supahfly, I couldn't exactly understand her order after the two pizzas,  just now watching, it hasn't been delivered yet.  Saw a couple comments about it, can't wait to see this.  

 How do you have a stash in the recliner when Daddy checks it out at the store?

[Toaster Strudel]

Bitchy sister said that Karina was using her wheelchair...

...AS A CRUTCH!!!

[WillowG]

Okay, that pizza binge wasn't that bad to watch since I spent the weekend watching YouTube eating challenges.  Those really made me sick, omg.

Yeah she's way too out of shape to be to walk, maybe sis is jealous again because she's getting illness attention.

[WillowG]

Dr. Now still has his elderly brother moving scales and cleaning bathrooms I see.

[Caoimhe]

6 hours ago, Kyanight said:

I get very irritated when family members sit and eat fattening artery-hardening and oftentimes surgery treats in front of their family member who is trying so hard to lose weight.  I want to shake them and say "What the heck is the MATTER with you?"  It seems so selfish to me.   And nonsupportive. 

While it would be nice for them to be more sensitive at the start, eventually you have to take responsibility for what you eat and not let what others are having get to you.  I do not eat sugar or flour and have to watch every bite I eat.  Yet I still bake pies and cookies for my family and make foods for them that I will not touch.  There certainly are times I smell something, like a rising crust pizza or even a piece of toast, that I would love to eat.  It is my choice to continue to cook for them knowing that I can’t control what anyone else chooses to eat just as I will not let them change the way that I eat.  (They cringe at the amount of butter I put on my vegetables!).   But I am a healthy weight and happy with my size so part of therapy is learning to cope with the challenges like others’ eating habits.

[AVM]

First place all the patients should go to  is a psychiatrist, 600 lbs is a mental problem... over two hundred pounds for  any woman is a problem unless she is over 6ft tall 

[gardendiva]

You could almost feel the seething resentment seeping through the screen from Karina’s family. They seem like a hardworking family with a strong work ethic, so having a family member completely dependent and helpless due to what they must perceive as self indulgence and laziness must really frost them. However, the sister should take the sanctimonious tone down a notch with reference to her sister’s weight problems. She ain’t no Victoria’s Secret model herself.

[CoachWristletJen]

Karina is another one who did just enough to get the surgery.... she stood up or something. Then she sat back and did nothing. It's got to be something of a feat to not walk in spite of continual physical therapy although she did seem to enjoy the male contact with the physical therapist. 

[CoachWristletJen]

What happened to her teeth? Seems like she has an additional row of teeth back there or something. Seems like she would have gotten better childhood dental care with her dad being in the military?

Maybe her parents could make a condition: If she's going to continue to live underneath their roof, she has to turn over whatever check she's getting every month. They can even put it in a savings account for her. Even getting her teeth fixed. She's actually really pretty, and I'm glad she's started writing. I really hope that she succeeds!

[Kyanight]

7 hours ago, auntjess said:

And again, "if I'm not OKd for surgery, I'll have wasted all my work."
No, you'll still be 92 pounds lighter, and able to get around better.
I was waiting the whole show for a wheelchair to appear, and it was in the last 5 minutes that she used it.

:::::::APPLAUSE:::::::::   EXACTLY!   "WASTED ALL YOUR WORK"???????  What the heck??  How is losing 100 pounds ON YOUR OWN a waste?     But I don't get your last sentence.  I was waiting the entire show for her to freaking get OUT of the chair and take some steps.  Three steps?  Two steps?  ONE step?  I know that is a LOT of weight to be moving around, but the medical field says there is no reason you can't do it - so DO it!  We never saw her take a single step - although we saw her stand for a minute. I don't understand how people think they are going to lose weight while sitting on their mattress.  I think that 99% of these 600 Pound Life people want the surgery and think it will be the miracle cure that melts all those pounds off of their body.  They do NOT want to avoid sugary, high calorie foods - they do NOT want to exercise - they do NOT really want to change anything in their lifestyle that put the weight on in the first place.   I know that Dr. Now and probably others tell them what will be required besides surgery, and yet all of them seem reluctant to do the work necessary to help lose the weight.  All of them are fine with dieting that first month to qualify for the surgery... but then maintaining a healthy lifestyle long term seems something few of them want to do.   I honestly believe that in order for this operation to be a success for any of these morbidly obese people, there needs to be nutrition and cooking classes offered.  I don't believe it is enough to give them a list of foods to avoid and tell them to eat so many calories a day or even to suggest they eat "vegetables and protein".  Cooking might come easily to some people, but for those who have been eating fast food and convenience foods for YEARS and YEARS - it is fairly daunting.... not to mention that any home cooked food they DID have came from family members who aren't on board with eating healthy themselves and I have yet to see a show where the rest of the family started eating healthy/low calorie foods.  Instead they go on eating whatever they choose and expect this obese family member to make his or her own healthy meals.   So they need to learn to COOK healthy meals - which doesn't mean boiled chicken and salads for the rest of their lives, lol.

6 minutes ago, CoachWristletJen said:

What happened to her teeth? Seems like she has an additional row of teeth back there or something. Seems like she would have gotten better childhood dental care with her dad being in the military?

Maybe her parents could make a condition: If she's going to continue to live underneath their roof, she has to turn over whatever check she's getting every month. They can even put it in a savings account for her. Even getting her teeth fixed. She's actually really pretty, and I'm glad she's started writing. I really hope that she succeeds!

I don't think she could fit into a dentist's chair at this point.  It's also possible her teeth needs extensive work which would require anesthesia, which is very touchy in patients this large.  Everything is risky because of the stress already placed on their heart from the fat.

[JoJo Girl]

New to the community here, hey everybody!  It seems to me that there ought to be a period of intense therapy sessions at the get go. Required before surgery.  They need to get to the root of the problem so the person can deal with it. I agree with other posters here that Karina's so called excuse that her parents worked hard is just so lame. The parents have checked out emotionally and sister's attitude is understandable to me (but not at all helpful).

[Granny58]

8 hours ago, ThisGirlAsh said:

But Karina had this weird smirking/always almost about the laugh thing going on

I am convinced that was a mask, to hide her hurt.  

17 minutes ago, CoachWristletJen said:

. Seems like she would have gotten better childhood dental care with her dad being in the military?

My dad was military (1960s) so I didn't understand why they had huge medical bills, but I am sure our dental wasn't covered so hers probably wasn't either.  We had a regular dentist in town.  

[Granny58]

I kind of liked the dad, but man oh man...this was a low energy family!!!   I will never understand enablers, though.  So she shops on her own, but somebody has to take her.  So...don't take her!!!!  Make her normal, appropriately portioned food and that's it!   

[fountain]

10 hours ago, Kyanight said:

I know exactly what you mean.  Everyone was so..... "deadpan!"  At the end of the show when Karina talked to her sister, it seemed so forced and artificial..... especially when the sister said she had to leave to pick up the kids and gave Karina this weird "air hug".  All I could think  was, "Wow - there isn't a whole lot of love there!"  But then I wondered how much of this behavior is due to being uncomfortable with the cameras and knowing they were being filmed.   I definitely believe that in Karina's case, she gained all of that weight not only because of emotional issues (whatever they might be) but also because of their cultural diet.  Everything the doctor said she had to avoid food-wise was everything the family cooked for meals.   I get very irritated when family members sit and eat fattening artery-hardening and oftentimes surgery treats in front of their family member who is trying so hard to lose weight.  I want to shake them and say "What the heck is the MATTER with you?"  It seems so selfish to me.   And nonsupportive. 

I also get annoyed when the other relatives who are also very fat just not immobile fat sit there and shovel in the crap food and act like they are fine as they aren’t 600lbs.  The sister was hella fat herself to be so high and mighty treating her sister like a bitch.  When Karina gets to 170 and skin surgery her sister will be the fat sister, and I will secretly enjoy that.

[ClareWalks]

I continue to be amazed on this show by the relatives who act like they're aghast at the eating habits of the 600-pounder, since those relatives themselves are only 400 pounds and therefore totally have this whole "eating" thing figured out. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt, I guess.

Watching her come in for her consultation and I swear I heard her say "Dr. Now is an asshole," until she then said "for a better life." I realized her speech impediment made "my last hope" sound like "an asshole." 

Edited February 8, 2018 by ClareWalks

[7788BeaconHighway]

Karina's behavior and family relationships remind me of Erica's. Self-centered, enjoying being the center of attention, no insight, bingeing, failed WLS, no view of an independent future, no joy in life except food, family tired of her dependence. Just a less intense version.

I feel like Karina is a less intense version of Erica. It looks like Karina lost weight mainly to please Dr. Now. Otherwise she'd be pushing her self to walk and be independent. I hope I'm wrong.

[Pondlass1]

This is the second instance where the 600 pounder has lost 200+ pounds over the course of the episode yet looks no slimmer in the final scenes than she did at the beginning.  

And I would appreciate if the format for this series could be changed so that audiences are not subjected to the morbidly obese person waking up, wobbling to the bathroom and then having a shower in full view.  Those poor cameramen/women - at least we can turn away.

There is no need for this.  It's humiliating.   I have to believe the subject has signed some sort of release or they won't get free surgery.  But it's wrong and should be stopped.  

[LordOfLotion]

1 hour ago, fountain said:

I also get annoyed when the other relatives who are also very fat just not immobile fat sit there and shovel in the crap food and act like they are fine as they aren’t 600lbs.  The sister was hella fat herself to be so high and mighty treating her sister like a bitch.  When Karina gets to 170 and skin surgery her sister will be the fat sister, and I will secretly enjoy that.

I'll enjoy it too, but I will do it publicly. This show has taught me to be naked and unafraid.

[nlkm9]

10 hours ago, auntjess said:

l could believe it when Dr. Now said how her stomach had been so small, there was barely any room for food.
(Did they cheat, and have the crew eat the pizzas and brownies and wings?)

And again, "if I'm not OKd for surgery, I'll have wasted all my work."
No, you'll still be 92 pounds lighter, and able to get around better.
I was waiting the whole show for a wheelchair to appear, and it was in the last 5 minutes that she used it.
 

this!! my exact thought.

[88Keys]

This was an odd episode.  The family dynamic was so weird.  I could tell her family was over it and over her.  Didn't they say she had lost weight before? I do think some of their flat affect could come from not being very comfortable on camera, though.

Karina seemed like one of the ones who would fail or would backslide.  Yet, at every appointment, she lost weight.  I was truly surprised.  However, I got the vibe that she was almost doing it to spite her family, in a way.  She seemed really determined to prove them wrong, but I suspect that, eventually, she will fall back into old habits and gain the weight back.  I hope I am wrong, though!

Quote

I think that 99% of these 600 Pound Life people want the surgery and think it will be the miracle cure that melts all those pounds off of their body. 

Exactly.  A few of them make the long-term changes in the way they eat, exercise, and view food.  But people like Karina and the lady last week seem to think that they have to jump through the doctor's hoops (loose 50 pounds, get a check-up, see a therapist once) and then they will be approved for surgery and they won't have to try anymore.  They don't seem to get that those preliminary challenges are to see if they can make true long-term changes to their lifestyle AFTER they have the surgery.

[calpurnia99]

The excuse of the heartburn when she doesn't eat is a new one! I have heartburn and it comes from EATING TOO MUCH, eating greasy food, eating sugary food and overeating.  I can't help it when I saw those pizzas the first thing I thought is all that grease and tomato sauce she is going to be up all night with heartburn and indigestion.  I mean these people HAVE to all have acid reflux which is extremely painful. There is no way all the stomach juices can stay down after eating all that quantity of food.  

[LuvMyShows]

1 hour ago, Pondlass1 said:

This is the second instance where the 600 pounder has lost 200+ pounds over the course of the episode yet looks no slimmer in the final scenes than she did at the beginning.  

Yes, that's what I thought, and I am so mystified.  At the very end, when we saw her moving into her bedroom, I said to myself there is no way that she is under 400 pounds.  For this to have happened twice, when I don't remember it ever having happened on the show before, really has me suspicious, but I'm not sure what I'm suspicious of!

[Boofish]

13 hours ago, Aw my lahgs said:

Karina’s sister is such a little bitch. 

*insert snark here* Her sister was just as messed up physically and mentally as she was

I don't understand the notion of the everyone having to be on a diet because of one person. It's not cruel to eat in front of someone who can't have certain foods. She is not a child; she is 33. Take some responsibility. If they bring her food; they are wrong. Take her to buy food; they are wrong. Eat food she can't have in front of her; they are wrong. So now my entire life has to revolve around your diet?

[dahling]

Well that was the weakest "uplifting" ending I've ever seen. Some people go on a date, some people go on an outdoor excursion, some people have a heart-to-heart with an overdramatic niece. And Karina doesn't have to sleep in the living room any more.

God that sister was loathsome. If she was going to act like that, she should have just opted out of participating. Bitter, judgmental, obese, selfish, immature, hypocritical, hypercritical, and probably some more that's not rolling off my fingers right now.  "But it was the LAST game." Oh hell, my parents live out of state and rarely if ever get to see my kids' events. It sounded like these grandparents were pretty involved in general, and she was pissed about them missing THE LAST GAME as though that means something. 

What was with the row of partially empty soda/alcohol bottles that seemed like a permanent fixture on the pony wall between the kitchen and living room? 

[QuinnInND]

8 minutes ago, dahling said:

 

What was with the row of partially empty soda/alcohol bottles that seemed like a permanent fixture on the pony wall between the kitchen and living room? 

Probably for decoration. We kept our liquor bottles on top of the kitchen cabinets. Some were really pretty. That's all I've got. 

[SunnyBeBe]

What was the dialogue when at the family dinner, someone asked a question about how many.  Didn't she say 3 or 4?  WHY?  If everyone else is having 2, then, why not prepare her 2 and if she wants more, she can go purchase it and prepare it.  I think these family dynamics get so dysfunctional that they don't even realize how bizarre it is.  

And, it's true about sister and MOM being overweight. They each appeared to be significantly overweight. So, let's change the dynamics so sister's kids don't turn out like Karina.  I can see that happening. I can even see sister getting that if she keeps gaining weight.  I get how sister is resentful....I really do, but, you can provide family with the ball schedule, so they can plan to be there and avoid making those appointments that conflict.  Of course, it could have been a conference game or something like that. 

It seemed pretty obvious to me that Karina just had a mental block on walking.  She seemed hellbent to not do it. ONCE AGAIN, this seems to be a theme of this show.  Are there that many people who refuse to walk, when they actually could?  IDK....odd. The therapist didn't mention her walking....maybe, that was cut out. 

Edited February 8, 2018 by SunnyBeBe

[Cranky One]

Did anyone notice that the therapist she went to was a Pediatric Therapist? I thought that was odd.

[berwoman]

That meal would have fed my family of three for 2 full days.   Watching her (allegedly) shovel all that in made me physically ill.  I have no stomach for gluttony...  but good for her for making progress despite a family that obviously has run right out of f**ks to give....

(and yes, I could stand to lose a good 30 lbs too..  so I get the desire to eat yummy pizza... just not that much!!)

(and that pizza didn't even look yummy - just sayin....)

[Kyanight]

33 minutes ago, Boofish said:

*insert snark here* Her sister was just as messed up physically and mentally as she was

I don't understand the notion of the everyone having to be on a diet because of one person. It's not cruel to eat in front of someone who can't have certain foods. She is not a child; she is 33. Take some responsibility. If they bring her food; they are wrong. Take her to buy food; they are wrong. Eat food she can't have in front of her; they are wrong. So now my entire life has to revolve around your diet?

Of course not.  That's wrong, too.  But maybe ask her if she would like to leave the kitchen until the meal is over... or don't eat in front of the TV in front of the person dieting.  No one should have to change their OWN lifestyle - but they CAN make small changes that show that they love and support the person trying to change.

I was thinking about this just now..... I have four kids, none of whom are overweight (although I could stand to lose 20 pounds myself.  I'm 5' 2" and weigh 145).  If one of my kids were grossly obese like any of these people on this show, I can say with 100% certainty that I would NOT eat ice cream and fattening food in front of them while they were dieting.  I would probably ALSO either eat what they ate or sometimes MAKE them something healthy to eat to HELP them on their weight loss journey.  These families ENABLE their loved ones to get like this - they BRING the food to them - why can't they ALSO enable them in losing the weight?  Do they only love to help when they are destroying their health, or do they love and support when they are fixing their issues?  I'm trying to think here, but through the years it seems like there weren't many family members that were really 100% on board in helping the person out.  I get that it's your own personal journey here and that you have to do it for yourself - but that doesn't mean that someone in your family can't go to the gym with you and work out at the same time - or help fix decent meals - stuff like that.  The way the camera shows it, the person is pretty much the turd in the punch bowl - regardless of how hefty everyone else in the family might be.

Edited February 8, 2018 by Kyanight

[AZChristian]

5 minutes ago, Kyanight said:

Of course not.  That's wrong, too.  But maybe ask her if she would like to leave the kitchen until the meal is over... or don't eat in front of the TV in front of the person dieting.  No one should have to change their OWN lifestyle - but they CAN make small changes that show that they love and support the person trying to change.

I understand what you're saying, but I wonder whether at some point in the past someone else in the family may have been trying to lose weight.  Do we really think Karina would have abstained from shoveling food into her face out of respect, love or support for someone else?

Respect is a two-way street.

[auntjess]

4 hours ago, Kyanight said:

But I don't get your last sentence.  I was waiting the entire show for her to freaking get OUT of the chair and take some steps. 

Argh.  I meant I was waiting for the WALKER to appear, instead of a wheelchair.  I've corrected it now.  Sorry.

[Kyanight]

6 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

I understand what you're saying, but I wonder whether at some point in the past someone else in the family may have been trying to lose weight.  Do we really think Karina would have abstained from shoveling food into her face out of respect, love or support for someone else?

Respect is a two-way street.

I'm a mom.  I think like a mom.  I would do anything to help my kids better themselves, even if it might sometimes be self-sacrificing - and regardless of whether my kids would do the same thing for me.   I just think there is something really dysfunctional when other moms won't do something to help their kids survive - and believe me, that fat has GOT to be killing them!

[CoachWristletJen]

3 hours ago, fountain said:

I also get annoyed when the other relatives who are also very fat just not immobile fat sit there and shovel in the crap food and act like they are fine as they aren’t 600lbs.  The sister was hella fat herself to be so high and mighty treating her sister like a bitch.  When Karina gets to 170 and skin surgery her sister will be the fat sister, and I will secretly enjoy that.

Agreed! The sister was so mean! Like when she was complaining about the parents taking her to Dr. Now instead of seeing her kids play soccer or whatever.

I fully get that it's frustrating to watch Liz get all of this extra special attention, and that Liz has eaten herself into this sorry state, but Liz is going to DIE if she doesn't get this help! It's, uh, pretty important for her to go!

[CoachWristletJen]

16 minutes ago, Kyanight said:

Of course not.  That's wrong, too.  But maybe ask her if she would like to leave the kitchen until the meal is over... or don't eat in front of the TV in front of the person dieting.  No one should have to change their OWN lifestyle - but they CAN make small changes that show that they love and support the person trying to change.

I was thinking about this just now..... I have four kids, none of whom are overweight (although I could stand to lose 20 pounds myself.  I'm 5' 2" and weigh 145).  If one of my kids were grossly obese like any of these people on this show, I can say with 100% certainty that I would NOT eat ice cream and fattening food in front of them while they were dieting.  I would probably ALSO either eat what they ate or sometimes MAKE them something healthy to eat to HELP them on their weight loss journey.  These families ENABLE their loved ones to get like this - they BRING the food to them - why can't they ALSO enable them in losing the weight?  Do they only love to help when they are destroying their health, or do they love and support when they are fixing their issues?  I'm trying to think here, but through the years it seems like there weren't many family members that were really 100% on board in helping the person out.  I get that it's your own personal journey here and that you have to do it for yourself - but that doesn't mean that someone in your family can't go to the gym with you and work out at the same time - or help fix decent meals - stuff like that.  The way the camera shows it, the person is pretty much the turd in the punch bowl - regardless of how hefty everyone else in the family might be.

Yeah, I don't get why the family couldn't cool it a bit. They weren't exactly thin so it wouldn't hurt for them to eat some grilled chicken along with her! If they want ice cream, they can go out and have it without her and breathe not a word about it when they return.. I believe personal responsibility does come into play here to some degree as far as the person getting into the sorry state that they are in, but without success on the diet, that loved one is going to DIE. It's as deadly serious as cancer and they all need to treat  it as such.

It really made me mad when that one woman went to spend a month with her family in Oregon or someplace out west and she was surrounded by cookies and treats. Like, we don't keep cookies constantly laying around our kitchen. WTF? The family couldn't pull it together for one month and help her out? She overate and couldn't have her skin surgery when she got back. Forgot her name but she's a really sweet woman.

[auntjess]

1 hour ago, LuvMyShows said:

Yes, that's what I thought, and I am so mystified.  At the very end, when we saw her moving into her bedroom, I said to myself there is no way that she is under 400 pounds.  For this to have happened twice, when I don't remember it ever having happened on the show before, really has me suspicious, but I'm not sure what I'm suspicious of!

I don't think it's any conspiracy, just people who carry their weight in certain places.  

[gardendiva]

I think one of the meanest things the sister said was when she kept repeating all of her RESPONSIBILITIES including and especially KIDS...implying in a not too subtle way that a man found her desirable enough to have sex with her, which is something Karina has no chance of hoping for. I would love to see Karina prove her wrong.