my 600lb life (tv show)

gabriellejayde
gabriellejayde Posts: 607 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
This is one of my favorite shows. For one thing, it often helps me understand how people let themselves get to that point, and also how *I* let myself get to *my* highest point (which was somewhere in the 250s). Not exactly the same, but some of the habits that obese people have are consistent.
It also helps me identify behaviors that I don't want to have. Things I know that are traps to fall into. I've seen people on the show get upset because they can't eat what everyone else eats, when the truth is of course that they were eating MUCH more than normal. I've also watched them drink soda with their meals (happily I don't drink soda), POUR on the salad dressing, and keep snack food next to their beds. I've seen them make excuses for eating because of stress, habit, and because they've replaced love with food.

It's also sometimes inspiring, when I see that someone who was formerly 600 or more pounds getting down to under 200. I know they have surgery to help, but that's not always the cure... it's just a tool and they still succeed.

Does anyone else watch it?
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Replies

  • sdolan91
    sdolan91 Posts: 250 Member
    I feel like some of the people I've seen on that show needs help mentally, too...
    Man, but don't diss soda. lol I'm having one today, totally fit in my calories (I was pretty excited.. I never have it)
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
    kristen8000 wrote: »
    I can't watch shows like that. I also can't watch the Biggest Loser. It makes me feel sad for society. And I feel that shows like that "exploit" people. I'm not wild about "reality" TV in general.

    Same here. Extreme Makeover is another one that really bothered me and I only watched once. I just can't.
  • Horses4Two
    Horses4Two Posts: 45 Member
    I love that show. I watch it all the time.
  • ISweat4This
    ISweat4This Posts: 653 Member
    Those shows are too hard/sad for me to watch
  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,710 Member
    kristen8000 wrote: »
    I can't watch shows like that. I also can't watch the Biggest Loser. It makes me feel sad for society. And I feel that shows like that "exploit" people. I'm not wild about "reality" TV in general.

    Same here. I HATE (and refuse to watch) the beginning segment where they show the people at their absolute worst and almost always naked! It's terrible. However, I also agree with the OP that lessons can be learned and it is interesting to see what the root cause is. Even with therapy though, education as far as general nutrition, calorie content, and portion size is severely lacking.
  • chrislee1628
    chrislee1628 Posts: 305 Member
    edited September 2017
    It just shows that not everyone is greedy and that some people are genuinely ill and because of that get to the weight that they are in, not because they want to, but because they can not help it

    I feel that it is those that the government should be helping

    I've recorded episodes 600lbs, when I remember to, and rewatch them, if they can get health, then there is no reason why I/we can not, unless we are physically/mentally unable to
  • chrislee1628
    chrislee1628 Posts: 305 Member
    Time, patience and effort, if we could lose all that weight with a press of a button, we would all be pounding the living daylight out of it :)
  • garber6th
    garber6th Posts: 1,894 Member
    I have mixed feelings about this show. I can kind of relate, I was pushing 400 lbs at one point. I knew it wasn't normal so the first thing I did was get myself into therapy. I think with this show, therapy should be a prerequisite for these patients because it isn't normal to be so self destructive. You can also see that some of the people on this show struggle with emotional eating and many have been through serious trauma. If you don't sort the mental/emotional issues, you can staple someone's mouth shut and they will still find a way to eat. I also agree that they should get nutritional education. I feel like the people on this show are exploited to a certain degree, however, when I see them turn around and get all the help they need and get with the program, it's good to see the process working for them. Makes me wonder if they would be as successful if they weren't under the microscope of TV cameras and crew.
  • TorStar80
    TorStar80 Posts: 252 Member
    Although I'm not 600 lbs, I see absolutely no difference between myself and the people on that show struggling to get healthy. I guess it's why I won't watch, it's like looking at myself... times I've justified my actions or maybe blamed someone else, at the end of the day I see they aren't victims and neither am I. I think some people watch because it makes them feel better about themselves, I feel like that about a lot of reality TV.
  • CMNVA
    CMNVA Posts: 733 Member
    I watched the 600lb show once and I've never been back. I found it kind of shocking the relationship that the one person had with food and how the people around him contributed to it. It was sad, frustrating, and depressing and it just angered me for some reason (I think the episode I watched did not have a good outcome).

    As another poster upthread stated, I am shocked how in-the-dark some people are out nutrition and proper eating. It stuns me that people are really that clueless. There are some days when I read the boards here on MFP that I see it too and I can't believe it. I always simply thought that people just overate but probably knew better. Nope, it's much much worse than that.

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