My 600 lbs life

lloydrt

I went to UTube, they have them there, you can buy it for 1.99.......Ill pass

check out this one, its of Patrick Duel, he weighted 1098 lbs and had to go to the hospital...........

Fast Forward to 15 35, it shows how he has no will power and is really being a jerk as well

I think some people are addicted to food, just like crack, cigarettes, drugs, etc.........they just don't realize how unhealthy it is

also, this Patrick has a really nasty attitude and he seems to control his wife into doing things that she doesnt want to do.......really sad
this is the video that deals with Patrick and his dilemma

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kVh3ox2IaM

michelefrench

I had to turn it off after the whole fried won-ton part - that they tried to justify as being somehow healthy????

melkhamilton

Is that a real question? Oh I see TLC has already had an effect on you.

What an absolutely mean way to reply to the poster. I always wonder how cowardly some people are that they have to wait until they can get their rocks off snipping at and attempting to hurt other people anonymously. The armchair-psych part of me is a little bit fascinated in what's behind that and how helpless a person's life might be; the humanitarian part of me is just kind of disgusted.

That said, the poster who asked "Why?" really might not know. She might not watch any other TLC shows. Or she might enjoy some of the shows. Who knows? Not every entertainment pursuit is an intellect-builder, nor should it be. Personally, I don't watch any of the shows on TLC except this one (and after the Penny episode I'm not even so sure about that any more), but that's just my preference.

I mean we just had the "some people like some things, and others like other things, and that's okay" talk this morning with my 7-year-old and intellectually disabled 10-year-old (who was offended that his brother didn't like the same cartoon he did) and they got it. Perhaps if you sit down and think about it for a while like they did, you will too.

*******

ETA: For the poster who asked, "Why?", I'm assuming it's because TLC seems to play primarily "reality" shows. I'm not sure which exact ones are TLC as I see the cross-commercials from other channels, but I *think* such shows as "Dance Moms" and "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" are on TLC. The station definitely no longer lives up to its name. It was supposed to be the learning channel, after all. We're not learning much (if anything) any more from TLC.

HOWEVER, in my opinion only, the original people in the first My 600-Lb. Life - the ones who were followed over the course of seven years - provided some actual, usable information from TLC. They definitely showed the ups and downs of gastric bypass surgery, and proved that it really isn't an instant fix - and that even after (or if) the weight issue IS fixed, it often isn't permanent (only Melissa ever got down to even a normal weight, IIRC, and she didn't stay there).

In addition, it showed some interesting dynamics in what got the people there (information we can all surely use), what kept them there (that's always more of a puzzle), who helped them and why, and the way relationships change, or sometimes end, after the weight goes off. TLC took its time with these - seven years is quite a while. So again, IMO, at least the original season of this series was a quality departure.

melkhamilton

Okay, so, that said...

1. Yes, they have people bring them their food. There is no other way they could get that large and that disabled otherwise, as the majority of them (as far as I've seen) are physically unable to get their own food. Often, in families of super-obese people (and you'll notice that there are generally other family members who are very very large), there's a psychological dynamic going on there. The mother overstuffs the son or daughter in order to keep him/her dependent. In the case of a spouse, it seems like the same thing. "Well, as long as she needs me just to eat, she can't leave me."

2. Penny's episode absolutely infuriated me. She refused to comply to ANY recommendations given to her by the doctor, the nutritionist or the physical therapist. I'm not a psychiatrist, but I'd have to guess that Penny wants to stay disabled permanently.

fishnbrah

the dude that was on that 600lb virgin show worked at the gym i went to. great guy. lost a ton of weight but then gained it all back plus some. havent seen him in a few years. hope he is ok.

melkhamilton

the dude that was on that 600lb virgin show worked at the gym i went to. great guy. lost a ton of weight but then gained it all back plus some. havent seen him in a few years. hope he is ok.

I hope he got the weight off again - I thought I heard an update at one point that he did? Not sure, though. It was just something I read briefly somewhere.

Good luck and good health to him.

Jestinia

These new episodes are frustrating because the ones before followed people for 7 years. Definitely shows the surgery is no easy way out or a quick fix. And as this last episode showed, if you aren't somewhat in touch with reality when it comes to your eating, it isn't going to work for you.

I'm tempted to view bariatric surgery as a very expensive, painful placebo after last night's episode, but I'm sure some people literally can't eat like she did in the first weeks and months after surgery. So in a way she got unlucky because it didn't even seem to slow her down, but she is also obviously living in some alternate universe. I feel sorry for her. But not as sorry as I feel for the woman whose husband is such an *kitten* about her weight loss. Maybe these two women should just swap husbands.

And maybe I should ease off a tiny bit on obsessing about my piddling ten pounds of extra that won't stay gone and how that will affect my romance chances. I guess it must be my sparkling personality that scares off the mens instead.

melkhamilton

Jestina, at the beginning of the show it said that 5% (or fewer than 5%? Can't remember exactly) of these procedures work long-term.

I'm actually shocked, based on that, that any insurance companies cover it. I always wonder where the money comes from for these people to have the surgery. It is NOT a cheap procedure and many, if not most, of the families seem to live in lower middle-class conditions or less than that (I believe Melissa lived in a trailer when she had her surgery). Perhaps TLC pays for it?

melkhamilton

Has anyone else noticed that the doctor seems to be really short-tempered with the patients this season as compared to last season? (With the exception of Penny; I'd have been short-tempered myself...in fact I had a fleeting fantasy of jumping through the television set and kicking her.) But it seems like he was really encouraging the first go-'round and this time he's worrying a bit more/is less optimistic, especially pre-surgery. "She is seeing this as a quick fix," etc. He's also way less happy about the losses even when they're large. "You should have lost more."

I wonder if even he is seeing that this procedure just doesn't work.

It also makes me think perhaps people should have counseling pre-surgery to make sure they're going to comply and that their goals are realistic.

Jestinia

Jestina, at the beginning of the show it said that 5% (or fewer than 5%? Can't remember exactly) of these procedures work long-term.

I'm actually shocked, based on that, that any insurance companies cover it. I always wonder where the money comes from for these people to have the surgery. It is NOT a cheap procedure and many, if not most, of the families seem to live in lower middle-class conditions or less than that (I believe Melissa lived in a trailer when she had her surgery). Perhaps TLC pays for it?

I would hope TLC pays for it, especially in the episodes that lasted 7 years. My favorite is the woman who ended up working with the doctor, counseling his patients. I cried my way through her story. Hope she's still having a great life.

I noticed he seems a bit shorter tempered as well. Maybe he has his own problems, personal or health. Doctors are humans, too. I hope it's not because he's seeing so many people fail longterm. I wasn't sure if the five percent was with surgery or without it or in total. I'll have to listen to the intro more closely next time!

melkhamilton

Jestina, that was Melissa. Of the entire group put together, I personally feel she and Henry had the best attitudes toward the surgery. Though they were not without their problems, but I don't know anyone who has no problems at all.

ETA: Holy carp but I wrote a book here! Sorry! Anyway, here you all go...


****

This show always brings up another question in my mind. It's a "there but for the grace of God go I" sort of question.

Here's what I've been thinking: Many of us tend to think less of these people than of ourselves. "Well, as overweight as I am, I'd never let myself get THAT big." It somehow makes us feel better. Maybe a little relieved.

But here's the thing. The mechanics and even the psychology of how they gained the weight, and continued to gain at least up until a certain point, aren't different from anyone else's mechanics of gaining weight. Right? I mean how many of us got up to a certain weight telling ourselves we'll start our new diet on Monday so we may as well eat at that party/get-together/in front of the TV/for no reason at all this weekend? I'm guessing a lot of us. How many of us thought, "This diet is IMPOSSIBLE, I'll start a new one tomorrow so for now I'll just eat because I feel like I'm starving"?

How many of us overate on Christmas, on our birthday, at our child's wedding, at wherever, whenever, guiltily but thinking "I can't not eat my own son's wedding cake" or what-have-you...and how many times did we do it, and how many of us keep doing just that, at least once in a while?

How many of us overate fully KNOWING it was psychological, that we were just lonely, or that we'd had a terrible day or whatever the case may be...but we did overeat...just like these 600-lb. people did, day by day, maybe more often or just over a longer period of time, or larger quantities, but for *exactly the same reasons* as we did and with *exactly the same excuses* we've used?

Bit by bit we inched up. We chalked it up to a lot of things. We thought it might be hormonal and many of us visited doctors (but meanwhile the weight was still creeping on, and we were telling ourselves, "This is getting so out of hand but I can't really fix this until I find out what's wrong - I never used to gain this way and I'm only eating X amount and I am exercising," etc.)

I'm guessing A LOT of us, at least when we were minimally overweight, and even for some of us, getting toward very overweight, and for some of us, up to obese standards, looked in the mirror and said, "I don't look all THAT bad" because we just couldn't take the self-hate any more, so we were trying self-love.

And we gained some more...

And some more...

At SOME POINT we all said, "This is it! This is ridiculous. I CAN'T get any larger. Period. This stops. NOW." And for many of us, we did begin to lose weight and some of us are even now at goal.

*That* is the difference between us and these 600-lb. people...and...this is the important part...it is *the only difference*. Our "shut-off" point to gaining even another single ounce started much earlier than these people's did. At 150 pounds, at 200 pounds or whatever. For some of us, even at 300 pounds. But pretty much nobody I've ever seen on here got up to 600 pounds before literally being told they were going to die within the year or even within months before that shut-off point came.

That's why I feel, There but for the grace of God go I. I did *exactly the same things* these people did, I just stopped doing it sooner than they did. How does that make me any better than they are? I think some people watch these shows and think, "Well, at least I'd never let myself get THAT big." Are we so sure? Again, there but for the grace of God. I don't think we're more disciplined, stronger or that we see ourselves more realistically than super-obese people. I truly do think our psychological or perhaps physical (the brain's wiring itself) mechanism just stops us earlier than it stopped them. Why? How? Why were they helpless against making their shut-off point earlier? Why were *we* helpless in not making *our own* shut off point earlier, before we became overweight and got here to MFP?

But other than that "this is enough" point, *there is no difference*. None, zero.

That makes me feel a bit scared, a bit relieved and very compassionate toward these people.

I'm just wondering why some people have an earlier shut-off point than others do. I just can't believe it all comes down to laziness or lack of caring about the situation. Something in me tells me that's just the wrong answer. But I don't know what the right answer is. I wish I did. And I think this idea is what keeps me coming back to this series.

Jestinia

%100 agree with your book. 'That could have been me' is part of the reason I'm so fascinated with shows like this. And I definitely didn't think I could get any bigger many times along my way up the scale, and then I proved myself wrong. It just happens that I woke up before I hit 600 pounds and it just happens I had the physical and psychological tools to come back from my highest weight without surgery. I feel very lucky and I'm very grateful to have been so lucky. I even feel lucky with this extra ten that won't stay gone. Because it could be an extra hundred instead.

The_Enginerd

Does anybody watch this show..
OMG.. I was watching it, last night, I really got pissed off..
Silly husband, should have fed his wife rabbit food and let her starve.

How does anybody gain 5lbs after surgery.

She was insane...

I'm right there with you. I don't think I've ever rooted for somebody to die from obesity until last night. The worst part was that she took donations from her family and community to get the surgery and treatment. Sometimes you just need to walk away from a bad investment.

I'm there with you. On top of that, she is receiving disability... she is a whiny leech on society. I want to punch her punk husband in the nuts for enabling her and that behavior.

melkhamilton

Does anybody watch this show..
OMG.. I was watching it, last night, I really got pissed off..
Silly husband, should have fed his wife rabbit food and let her starve.

How does anybody gain 5lbs after surgery.

She was insane...

I'm right there with you. I don't think I've ever rooted for somebody to die from obesity until last night. The worst part was that she took donations from her family and community to get the surgery and treatment. Sometimes you just need to walk away from a bad investment.

I'm there with you. On top of that, she is receiving disability... she is a whiny leech on society. I want to punch her punk husband in the nuts for enabling her and that behavior.

I fully believe that Penny wants to remain disabled. I don't know what's causing this desire, but it must be pretty deep-seated. Perhaps she can no longer imagine an "able" life and it terrifies her. Perhaps she fears that once the weight comes off, people will expect more of her - she'll have to get, and somehow keep, a job (that can be scary for many of us, even those of us who are working - Will we lose our job??? Are we good enough?), she'll have to get up and truly be a parent to her son - what if she screws that up? - etc.

I think she also fears no longer being "The Queen" - here, with everyone forced (well, they're complicit, in reality) to take care of her, to come to her, to pay attention to her, 24/7, she KNOWS she's "important", even if for all the wrong reasons. Who - or what - will she be if this is no longer the case? Will she be anybody at all? That must be a terrifying thought for her.

But whatever her reasons, I just don't believe that woman wants to become able. Ever. I think that thought is more frightening to her than dying. I feel sorry for her for that; it's terribly sad.

bd0027

At the end of the day, these women have men that will love them (and feed them).

And I'm still single. :sad: :sad: :sad:

lisalsd1

I normally love all of these types of shows...I've watched all of the previous episodes of my 600lb Life. Usually, I feel pretty good after watching, b/c a lot of the people get their crap together. Yeah, they aren't going to be super fit, but most of them make huge progress and really have great changes in their attitudes.

Penny made me so frustrated and sad. I had to watch a couple episodes of Cops to get the sad out of me.

Jestinia

I normally love all of these types of shows...I've watched all of the previous episodes of my 600lb Life. Usually, I feel pretty good after watching, b/c a lot of the people get their crap together. Yeah, they aren't going to be super fit, but most of them make huge progress and really have great changes in their attitudes.

Penny made me so frustrated and sad. I had to watch a couple episodes of Cops to get the sad out of me.

Ironic, considering on Cops they're often dealing with a different type of addict. And Penny does talk and act just like any addict not ready to give up her addiction.

melkhamilton

At the end of the day, these women have men that will love them (and feed them).

And I'm still single. :sad: :sad: :sad:

Oh girlfriend, do NOT be jealous. Most of these husbands say they have a fat fetish (sometimes they specifically say that; other times, just that they "like big women") and tell the women they're going to leave when the woman is no longer fat enough for them...and others admit they wanted to be a caretaker and have a wife who "couldn't" leave them.

Doesn't really sound like the glitzy, romantic life to me...

melkhamilton

"Cops" makes me cry... I just can not watch that show. Seeing these guys (usually it's guys, isn't it? I never seem to see women taken down on the commercials) being thrown onto the ground and pinned down while they scream, knowing they have thrown their lives away...drunk people who are about to puke...many are embarrassed...some cry...nope, can't do it, LOL.

I don't consider myself overly-sensitive but seeing people actually being kneed in the back on the ground and then taken to prison just...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

Make it go away, Mommy...did it go away yet? (peeking through fingers)...

lisalsd1

That's weird, b/c I think Cops is fun. Maybe that's just a me thing. I think it's the people's ridiculous stories/explanations for their behaviors that I get a kick out of...it is sad, but funny sad. Penny was delusional, insane sad.

Sarahs2576

I'm not sure how this woman was even psychologically cleared to under-go this surgery. She obviously wasn't prepared to handle or dedicate herself to the life changes. She has convinced herself she is disabled. Münchausen Syndrome.

sassychyck13

I watched it and I'm still pissed off about it. This person was in no way psychologically ready for weight loss surgery. She had every excuse in the book. And yes, her husband was an enabler. If I had been there I would have slapped her silly.

daniellabella986

The lady last night pissed me off too - there are so many people who genuinely would stick to the program after the surgery and want to change their lives but don't get the same opportunity she did. I understand at that stage it's an addiction, but she definitely needed to drop the excuses & her husband was no help...I mean, seriously "I figured deep frying was healthier than ordering out" was his genius idea. I just find it so frustrating when someone is that overweight, is bedridden for who knows how long, goes through all that trouble to have the surgery and then just disregards what the doctor says. The other lady with the daughter on tonight was great, she stuck to it even though her husband was TERRIBLE to her and she lost a ton of weight & pushed herself. Some stories are just better than others.

AsianSuperfly

the dude that was on that 600lb virgin show worked at the gym i went to. great guy. lost a ton of weight but then gained it all back plus some. havent seen him in a few years. hope he is ok.

I hope he got the weight off again - I thought I heard an update at one point that he did? Not sure, though. It was just something I read briefly somewhere.

Good luck and good health to him.

David Elmore Smith has a youtube channel btw. I watched an episode on his supplement stack and it was over the top. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB0ukrSh3Ao

melkhamilton

^ Thank you, going to watch that now.

dumb_blondes_rock

My favorite part, besides her saying she is doing all she can to her dr, is her saying "I can basically look at something and know how many calories is in it"....o_o....

I think a lot of mfp people have that mentality, and that where a lot of plateaus come from, because I def cant eyeball how much a 1/4 cup or 2/3 cup is.

WhT needs to happen is the husband should be charged with endangerment or some sort of legal action.

I wish every person who wanted the surgery or have been considering it would watch this episode. It shows that even with the "tools", nothing will work right if you don't resolve the underlying issues of why you are that big in the first place. Im suprised the show doesnt make psychiatric care manditory to get the surgery.

Sunshine2plus2

Yes I just watched that one I was just shocked she didnt want to help herself! She was not deserving of that surgery at all!

anabelpalomo

I haven't seen this weeks episode, but I have seen all last season and the first 2 of this season and I'M HOOKED!!!

jcrawford2780

"Penny's" story was infuriating. I honestly don't know why she was ever operated on in the first place. She manipulated people into donating money to her "cause," she played the victim and insisted she wasn't given the proper tools, although when asked by the doctor if she had the diet plan, she clearly stated like a proud child, "it's in my folder." So, which is it? Either you received the tools or you didn't. I'm sure we all know the truth to that question, but it would be politically incorrect for us to say anything. Bariatric surgeons should show their patients her story to prove to them exactly what can happen if you don't make a lifestyle change. I know when my mom had her surgery, she had to go through psychiatric counseling and group sessions before the doctor would even touch her, and she has managed to keep her weight off for nearly 7 years., and she says all of the time how it wasn't easy, and if she could have, she would have chosen a different route. It's not impossible. But surgery can't be viewed as a cure for patients who are not psychologically stable enough to handle such a tremendous undertaking. This episode was a prime example of what is wrong with the healthcare industry in America. We no longer care if the plan of care is suitable for the patient, it's now, "can we make money off this patient? And if so, how much?" Let her story be a lesson to us all, there are no quick fixes. And the easiest way to lose weight is to not put it on in the first place.

Commander_Keen

I think you are missing the difference between health care system and paid for by the local TV station.

The new episode will be played again next Tuesday before the new episode is played.