my 600lb life (tv show)
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I've seen a few of them. I've never been anywhere near that heavy, but I can understand some of their "triggers" and eating for comfort. Seeing those traits in other people helps me understand myself a little better.
Some of them just aren't very nice people. I'm sure that makes for "good TV", but I find those difficult to watch.3 -
MrsDan1667 wrote: »One thing I have recently realized after watching it is that many patients move to Houston and during their move they frequently stop for drive thru meals because they can't cook on the road. I admit, I too am quick to pop in to the drive thru on road trips. But then I got to thinking; my family for example spends about $25 on a drive thru meal. We could easily take that same $25 and go buy
(1) case of water
(1) 2# bag of carrots
(1) bunch of bananas
(1) pint of grape tomatoes
(4) protein bars for adults
(2) yogurts for kids
Disposable spoons for yogurts
Still spend about the same amount, still have "grab and go food" and it would be "healthier" (yes I know "healthy" is a relative term ).
So, that's one thing I've learned from the show. We don't always do that but it's now an option for our family.
Whenever I watch the show and they go to the drive thru I think "get a small hamburger without sauce or bacon and a side salad with dressing on the side." If you must eat at a drive thru it is possible to eat a reasonable meal, It just shouldn't be done every day, twice a day.3 -
Sadly I do love that show as well. It inspires me to keep going! Although I am doing it without surgery, it also inspires me not to ever get that big
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I haven't owned a TV for about 7 yrs, sounds like i'm still not missing much!!!..
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That one episode where her husband had a fetish and was completely against her losing weight and even ordered her a 1500 calorie takeout meal as he picked her up from the hospital was unbelievably tragic.6
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I've watched some episodes mainly while recovering from a shattered wrist. Some of it was relateable to me, like using food as a "drug of choice" to numb the feelings and trauma from abuse. Other parts were very hard for me to watch, like people who were essentially bed-ridden and killing themselves but their families kept giving them the large amounts of high calorie foods they asked for, essentially "loving them to death." It also kind of gives you a perspective on US healthcare, like a woman who'd always been heavy but got morbidly obese after growths on her legs made it impossible for her to walk... Why couldn't she get help earlier? Why aren't people (myself included) getting good helpful information on nutrition and weight control from regular doctors?2
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I have mixed feelings about the show. Sometimes I watch and am just overwhelmed and happy and then other people I watch on there and end up screaming at the tv. There was one set of brothers on from RI and one got the surgery, the other did not. The one that did was such a belligerent twit to the hospital staff, the private nurse they provided him with, he called the cops on his private nurse because she wouldn't buy him junk food, so he called the cops saying she was trying to steal his tv. When it was a TV that the facility provided for him, no nurse and you aren't following protocol you don't get the perks. It was infuriating to watch him, it really was. WLS is a tool you still have to put in the work and there and its not easy like anything else in life, but its just excuse after excuse with some of them, and It makes me crazy. Others I am inspired by. But it's hit or miss.
Biggest Loser I liked when it first came out, but then the fact that the people on there were more interested in winning money then actually getting healthy and manipulated the scale by "gaining" so they could boot off one of their own players who was doing better than them and such, It did not inspire, plus they didn't work out for just two hours a day, it was more like 6, it was bananas and unrealistic for anyone to maintain once back in their home life. I like Extreme Makeover because I find its a bit more realistic as the people have to go back home and figure out how to rework what they have learned into their regular life, they do majority of their weight loss at home alone.0 -
Most people who have WLS do have to speak to a counselor but unfortunately there is no standard in the WLS world either, some people come out of WLS and aren't even given a meal plan, which is bizarre.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).
And this is one reason why I think therapy should be mandatory. Not only for the relationships people have with food, but to recognize codependency and how to deal with outside influences and relationships so that they are not detrimental to success in getting healthy. Both mental health and physical health need to be addressed with the people on these shows.
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StarvingDiva wrote: »
Most people who have WLS do have to speak to a counselor but unfortunately there is no standard in the WLS world either, some people come out of WLS and aren't even given a meal plan, which is bizarre.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).
And this is one reason why I think therapy should be mandatory. Not only for the relationships people have with food, but to recognize codependency and how to deal with outside influences and relationships so that they are not detrimental to success in getting healthy. Both mental health and physical health need to be addressed with the people on these shows.
I had WLS, but before I ever even made the choice, I spent a year in therapy because I knew that if I didn't get things right in my head, I wouldn't get things right in my body. I went through the pre-surgery process, and honestly, the psych evaluation is almost a joke. I can see how someone could easily BS their way through it. The psychological aspect of the surgery process is lacking and in my opinion it's just as important, if not more, than any other part of the process. It comes down to being accountable and making sure you do what you have to do, and a lot of people on this show don't, which creates drama, which is good for TV, even though at times it's completely cringe-worthy.1 -
I hate reality shows3
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StarvingDiva wrote: »I have mixed feelings about the show. Sometimes I watch and am just overwhelmed and happy and then other people I watch on there and end up screaming at the tv. There was one set of brothers on from RI and one got the surgery, the other did not. The one that did was such a belligerent twit to the hospital staff, the private nurse they provided him with, he called the cops on his private nurse because she wouldn't buy him junk food, so he called the cops saying she was trying to steal his tv. When it was a TV that the facility provided for him, no nurse and you aren't following protocol you don't get the perks. It was infuriating to watch him, it really was. WLS is a tool you still have to put in the work and there and its not easy like anything else in life, but its just excuse after excuse with some of them, and It makes me crazy. Others I am inspired by. But it's hit or miss.
Biggest Loser I liked when it first came out, but then the fact that the people on there were more interested in winning money then actually getting healthy and manipulated the scale by "gaining" so they could boot off one of their own players who was doing better than them and such, It did not inspire, plus they didn't work out for just two hours a day, it was more like 6, it was bananas and unrealistic for anyone to maintain once back in their home life. I like Extreme Makeover because I find its a bit more realistic as the people have to go back home and figure out how to rework what they have learned into their regular life, they do majority of their weight loss at home alone.
That's the most recent episode of My 600lb Life that I happened to catch. I haven't wanted to watch another episode since. He was such an angry, awful person who clearly had huge issues beyond his weight and painkiller dependency.2 -
nevadavis1 wrote: »I've watched some episodes mainly while recovering from a shattered wrist. Some of it was relateable to me, like using food as a "drug of choice" to numb the feelings and trauma from abuse. Other parts were very hard for me to watch, like people who were essentially bed-ridden and killing themselves but their families kept giving them the large amounts of high calorie foods they asked for, essentially "loving them to death." It also kind of gives you a perspective on US healthcare, like a woman who'd always been heavy but got morbidly obese after growths on her legs made it impossible for her to walk... Why couldn't she get help earlier? Why aren't people (myself included) getting good helpful information on nutrition and weight control from regular doctors?
Because "regular doctors" don't receive much (if any) training in diet and nutrition. I was just at a physician conference and couldn't believe how many of them were a fair amount overweight.2 -
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suzannesimmons3 wrote: »LeanButNotMean44 wrote: »nevadavis1 wrote: »I've watched some episodes mainly while recovering from a shattered wrist. Some of it was relateable to me, like using food as a "drug of choice" to numb the feelings and trauma from abuse. Other parts were very hard for me to watch, like people who were essentially bed-ridden and killing themselves but their families kept giving them the large amounts of high calorie foods they asked for, essentially "loving them to death." It also kind of gives you a perspective on US healthcare, like a woman who'd always been heavy but got morbidly obese after growths on her legs made it impossible for her to walk... Why couldn't she get help earlier? Why aren't people (myself included) getting good helpful information on nutrition and weight control from regular doctors?
Because "regular doctors" don't receive much (if any) training in diet and nutrition. I was just at a physician conference and couldn't believe how many of them were a fair amount overweight.
Because they don't specialise in that....that's what dieticians are for.
General practitioners don't need to be as trained as dietitians, but obesity is a massive public health issue (in the US, at least), and I think it would be an excellent step for GPs to be more trained in an issue many of their patients are dealing with.7 -
I actually met a woman in my WLS support group who is a doctor who had sleeve surgery. It boggled my mind. On top of that, she didn't even follow the program immediately after surgery - she told me she had a family gathering and had a few bites of food that wasn't on the "approved" list. I guess you can be 600 lbs OR a doctor, if you aren't in the right mindset, you aren't going to commit.4
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MegaMooseEsq wrote: »suzannesimmons3 wrote: »LeanButNotMean44 wrote: »nevadavis1 wrote: »I've watched some episodes mainly while recovering from a shattered wrist. Some of it was relateable to me, like using food as a "drug of choice" to numb the feelings and trauma from abuse. Other parts were very hard for me to watch, like people who were essentially bed-ridden and killing themselves but their families kept giving them the large amounts of high calorie foods they asked for, essentially "loving them to death." It also kind of gives you a perspective on US healthcare, like a woman who'd always been heavy but got morbidly obese after growths on her legs made it impossible for her to walk... Why couldn't she get help earlier? Why aren't people (myself included) getting good helpful information on nutrition and weight control from regular doctors?
Because "regular doctors" don't receive much (if any) training in diet and nutrition. I was just at a physician conference and couldn't believe how many of them were a fair amount overweight.
Because they don't specialise in that....that's what dieticians are for.
General practitioners don't need to be as trained as dietitians, but obesity is a massive public health issue (in the US, at least), and I think it would be an excellent step for GPs to be more trained in an issue many of their patients are dealing with.
I agree about doctors. It is strange to me that they aren't well trained on this stuff, especially when it can make such a huge difference in patient health! I totally understand that a lot of patients aren't willing or ready to listen to good advice & make changes in their habits...but what about the ones who are? I've read horror stories here on MFP about people whose doctors led them into some unhealthy paths like eating 500 cal per day (not as part of a WLS plan or anything like that). Of course that is all anecdotal but it's still freaky.
I do think it shouldn't be too surprising that a lot of doctors are overweight/obese. There are many alcoholic doctors, and doctors with drug problems, and so on. They know none of these excesses are healthy, but that doesn't guarantee they will follow their own advice. They're only human. It is a stressful job and I would imagine a lot of them comfort-eat just like the rest of the population.
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I do watch the show, but sometimes I get frustrated watching it. I was over 500 lbs and watching this show reminds me where I was and where I do not want to go back to. A lot of the families need therapy for the entire family. The overweight person knows how to play on the emotions of loved ones to bring them food to their bed.
I just feel that at the end of the day we are solely responsible for what we put in our mouths.
Obviously there is something going on in your head when you are so big that you cannot even sit up in bed, yet you still eat a whole pizza. Hopefully the positive of this show will give some insight to others that have never had a weight issue and motivate others that are in similar situations to decide to do something about it.4 -
theabsentmindednurse wrote: »I have never watched any of the programmes you mentioned.
I live in Australia. And yes we do have The Biggest Loser Here.
There had just been a there week documentary aired on SBS called THE OBESITY MYTH!.
It was excellent.
It confirmed what we all know.
Obesity is a disease. It is all in the genes.
We are hard wired to gain weight.
I studied this fact in nursing.
It had many case studies and ways the patients lost weight.
You can google to watch it-Follow the link-
https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/the-obesity-myth
See what you think.
It is rather eye opening!
I don't know that. I don't believe that. I gained weight because I ate too much and exercised too little, plain and simple. I lost weight from watching my calories and exercising more. At at 6' 245, I was definitely obese.
Now that is not to say their aren't genetic traits that may make someone want to eat more, for example. But the gene doesn't cause obesity. We are human beings who are fully capable of going against cravings and instinct. That is a long way from "we are hard wired to gain weight".3 -
Watch the episode first then make an informed rebutte.
You might just change your mind!3 -
theabsentmindednurse wrote: »Watch the episode first then make an informed rebutte.
You might just change your mind!
I watched episode 2. I don't think they are saying anything that is new, TBH.
All the Professor was saying was that in certain people, there are some genetic traits that make them "more hungry" and "think about food more". These people don't recognise being full or knowing when to stop eating. This is unlike the "naturally thin" people who can't be bothered about food at all (see the Supersize vs Superskinny series and you'll know what I mean).
Just because some people have a predisposition to gaining weight, it doesn't mean that they will. If this was the case, then education and disposable income levels can never be influencing factors in individuals becoming obese.2
This discussion has been closed.
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