My 600-lb Life is an American reality television series that has aired on the TLC television network since 2012. Each episode follows a year in the life of super morbidly obese individuals, who usually begin the episode weighing at least 600 pounds (270 kg), and documents their attempts to reduce their weight to a healthy level. Update episodes, called "Where Are They Now?", feature one or more previous patients, picking up a year or more after their original episodes aired.
Patients are placed under the care of Houston surgeon Younan Nowzaradan (often referred to as "Dr. Now"), who first has them attempt losing weight on their own by following a strict diet, and then depending on the patient's progress may offer gastric bypass surgery or sleeve gastrectomy to further assist in weight loss.[1]
Concept
This series was originally a five-part miniseries involving four morbidly obese patients. Because of its popularity, new episodes were filmed, including a "Where Are They Now?" retrospective in Season 4 that follows up on previous patients to track their weight-loss journey months or years after bariatric surgery.[2]
In Season 1, patients were filmed over seven years (2004–2011). Beginning with Season 2, patients were filmed for only one year. In Season 8, certain patients' stories were filmed for only six months.
Beginning with Season 5, new episodes were two hours long instead of one hour. This was previously done with "Melissa's Story" (which was in two parts) and "Lupe's Story". Recap episodes titled "Supersized" and "Extended", which include additional facts and footage respectively, also aired during this season.
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 6 | February 1, 2012 | March 26, 2012 | |
| 2 | 8 | January 7, 2014 | February 25, 2014 | |
| 3 | 10 | January 7, 2015 | April 8, 2015 | |
| 4 | 12 | January 6, 2016 | May 18, 2016 | |
| 5 | 14 | January 4, 2017 | April 16, 2017 | |
| 6 | 16 | January 3, 2018 | May 9, 2018 | |
| 7 | 20 | January 2, 2019 | May 15, 2019 | |
| 8 | 16 | January 1, 2020 | April 15, 2020 | |
| 9 | 13 | December 30, 2020 | March 24, 2021 | |
| 10 | 15 | November 3, 2021 | February 9, 2022 | |
| 11 | 8 | February 1, 2023 | March 22, 2023 | |
| 12 | 7 | March 6, 2024 | April 17, 2024 | |
Spin-offs
Beginning in January 2015, TLC began airing My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now? The purpose of this spin-off was to update viewers on the weight loss journeys of people featured in previous seasons. As of 2021, seven seasons of the Where Are They Now? follow-ups have aired.
In 2016, a second spin-off, Skin Tight, began airing, showing people who struggle with the excess skin remaining after their weight loss successes. Dr. Nowzaradan appears along with other plastic surgeons.
Failed lawsuits
In 2018, several news outlets reported that several former patients of Dr. Nowzaradan who appeared on the series, as well as the family of one patient, L.B. Bonner, who died by suicide, had brought suits against the show's production company, Megalomedia, alleging negligence and claiming that the company failed to cover medical costs.[3][4] Plaintiff Destinee LaShaee, the first transgender participant to appear on the show, sued the show after claiming it did not provide the mental health treatments it promised. She died on February 8, 2022, after posting messages on social media "indicative of her depression and possibly suicidal thoughts."[5]
A total of ten lawsuits were filed, which were later consolidated into a single proceeding on May 20, 2020. Megalomedia requested summary judgment, which was denied via the judge not ruling on its motion within the time required under Texas law. Megalomedia then appealed its motion to the appellate court.[6]
On April 14, 2022, all ten of the lawsuits were dismissed by the 13th Appellate Court of Texas.[7][8][9][6]
References
- ^ King, Brittany (May 30, 2017). "My 600-Lb. Life Dr. Nowzaradan on Why It's Difficult for Patients to Keep the Weight Off". People. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
- ^ "'My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now?': Have They Kept The Weight Off?". The Huffington Post. March 27, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ "Three More 'My 600 Lb Life' Cast Members File Lawsuits Against Show's Production Company; Their Lawyer Says They "Intend to End This Show"". The Ashley's Reality Roundup. February 27, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
- ^ Delott, Simon (February 28, 2020). "My 600-lb Life Sued by FOUR Former Stars: End This Show, NOW!". The Hollywood Gossip. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
- ^ Ring, Trudy (February 9, 2022). "Destinee Lashaee, 1st Trans Star on 'My 600-lb Life,' Has Died". www.advocate.com. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ a b "Megalomedia, Inc.v. Maja Radnovic, Jeanne Covey, Barbara J. Fallaw, Dorothy 'Dottie' Perkins, Annjeanette Whaley, Alicia Kirgan, and Matthew Ventress aka Dentinee Lashaee". search.txcourts.gov. Texas Judicial Branch. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
- ^ Pesquera, Adolfo. "Ex-Subjects of My 600-Lb Life Lose Big in Negligence Lawsuit". Texas Lawyer. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
- ^ "Texas Panel Tosses Claims Against 'My 600-lb Life' Producer - Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
- ^ "Megalomedia, Inc. v. Radnovic, No. 13-20-00341-CV | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
