TLC My 600 lb life

I do watch it. And I do genuinely feel bad for the obese patients. But I also feel really irritated by the fact that no one in most of these families seems to work. The obese patients don't work, their spouses/so's don't work, their teenage/adult children don't work. They all just appear to sit around eating fast food and enabling each other all day. I'm hoping it just appears this way because of how the filming is edited, but I don't know.

ksmommy5 wrote: »

Michellelynn219 wrote: »

I watch too! When they lose weight and change their lives, it makes me cry happy tears for them. I watch hoarders too. Then I get up and clean the house, lol.

Lol!

Michellelynn219 wrote: »

I watch too! When they lose weight and change their lives, it makes me cry happy tears for them. I watch hoarders too. Then I get up and clean the house, lol.

I watch as well, and cry when they change their lives and get pissed when they are eating crap... I also watch Hoarders but that has the opposite affect on me... I look around and say maybe it's not so bad after all LOLOL

TheRealSlim_Shelly wrote: »

I'll watch anything and everything about weight loss (obviously for motivation/inspiration and because I can relate) but I find this show to be too depressing for me. The cinematography, the interactions between doctor, patient, and family members, the overall "feel" of the show is too bleak for me. I know I'm in the minority when I say it doesn't leave me personally feeling inspired, not to say these people aren't an inspiration (obviously they are - they are amazing!). Their stories of how they got there are heart wrenching, and it's hard for me to feel anything beyond that, even as they start to turn their life around. The heart wrenching feeling is the aspect that takes over my emotions since it's such a huge focus of the individual episodes. This is probably one of the few "weight" shows I avoid watching because I always feel worse than when I started watching.

Youre not alone here. I started watching it for motivation, or so I expected, but I found it pretty disheartening and depressing. Doesnt help that I have checked on followups ("where are they now" type clips) and so many have just not progressed, or even regressed. There's a few success stories, but not nearly enough.
They all feel like surgery is their panacea. So many of their families are absolutely horrible- "here, here are 4-6 burgers to eat for lunch". Really? Who does that to someone? The excuses are just so awful to listen to, can't they tell everyone but them can see right through their excuses and blame? Its excruciating to see. That kind of person will do the same in every area of their lives.

Their emotional problems need addressing as desperately as their weight, maybe moreso. I dont know how much they really see those therapists/psychologists whatever, but it sure doesn't seem to be near enough.

I am also uncomfortable with the way they are exhibited for the sensationalism. Does the show really need to have scenes of them trying to bathe naked? It must be humiliating for them! The little bit of blurring they do is just not enough to protect someone's dignity.

I always have to wonder, who is paying for these surgeries? Most of them don't seem to have the kind of finances that can pay for them, living in cramped quarters, sharing with other family members. Like someone else mentioned, there's not many who have jobs. Im assuming the Dr who makes the shows is paying for it to advertise his business? Does medicaid pay because the Dr designates it as medically necessary? Another reason the people don't value what they get, because it didn't cost them anything.

Anyway, I don't go away from it with anything positive, so I stopped watching.

I find this show very depressing as well. I don't understand why the patients are not advised to start with therapy and some education first. They have serious mental problems (depression, PTSD, and what not) that lead to overeating and morbid obesity, and have basically no clue about healthier lifestyle. Surgery is guaranteed to fail

I'm an addict. It's so sad to see people who supposedly want help, but struggle to help themselves after the surgery. It seems like they just hinge everything on the surgery when most lose more per month pre surgery than post surgery. I do like the rare years later follow up stories. Glad to see them doing well.