For all you people who are fans of this fairly sad show, here are some behind the scenes secrets about My 600 Pound Life that are guaranteed to make you sadder…probably.
1. Filming Is, Apparently, A Lot Of Work For These People
Any work for someone who is 600 pounds would probably be a daunting task, but filming seems to be a lot of extra work for them.
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And the people who film seem to be awfully pushy.
Filming Is, Apparently, A Lot Of Work For These People (CONT)
According to one of the past subjects, there was one camera person in particular who would knock at their door, and continue to knock until the subject got up.
How annoying.
2. Dr. Now Is Actually Pretty Old
Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, also known as Dr. Now , is actually older than you think. Sure, he may look pretty young for his age, but he’s actually in his 70s.
He looks pretty good, tbh.
3. Believe It Or Not, But These People Don’t Live In The Cleanest Of Places
It must be hard to clean your place when you’re 600 pounds.
One cameraman even reported seeing dog poop, thousands of bugs under the bed and the foulest of stenches in one apartment.
4. The Show’s Patients Are Considered “Untreatable”
Unless, of course, they agree to be on My 600 Pound Life .
Most other places won’t treat a patient that is above 450 pounds, because of all the risks associated with the operations.
5. Some Of Them Have Jobs
Not all of them live off disability .
For example, Penny Saeger makes jewelry on the side and a couple of the show’s subjects model for obesity fetish sites.
6. The Man Behind The Show
You may think it’s some TLC bigwig behind My 600 Pound Life , but nope, it’s Dr. Now’s son .
Jonathan Nowzaradan, a producer for the company Megalomedia, got it all started when his company filmed a doc on a woman who weighed 841 pounds.
7. Some Subjects Are Paid More For Shower Scenes
While the shower scenes may seem humiliating to you, the subjects are paid more for their troubles.
How much? Well, some claim they’re paid $4,000 in total to appear on the show, so more than that.
8. While Weight Loss Surgery Can Help…
It’s not a quick fix to all their problems, and in fact, a lot of the participants gain the weight back because they don’t change their eating habits.
Also, they refuse to move.
9. Steven Assanti Loves The Attention
A lot of shows will have their participants act up for the camera so they have a more interesting episode.
Steven Assanti was an attention-starved character, and that wasn’t just for the show.
Steven Assanti Loves The Attention (CONT)
Even after he appeared on My 600 Pound Life , Steven started posting videos of himself naked on the toilet.
According to his brother, he just loves being the center of attention.
10. Dr. Now Went Through A Divorce
Dr. Now has faced his own share of drama after being on the show. In 2004, he had a two-year-long divorce with his wife Dolores.
Yeesh, sorry to hear that, Dr. Now.
11. People Are Constantly Harassed About Their Appearances
Being on My 600 Pound Life may seem glamorous , but should you choose to be on the show, you’re going to face a whole bunch of harassment on social media.
Or at least that’s what people who have been on the show have said.
12. The Subjects Are Even More Unhealthy Than You Realize
Sure, you probably assume they all have stuff like diabetes , but a lot of them are also plagued with things like skin infections, sleep apnea, anxiety, depression and other ailments that come with being 600 pounds.
13. A Lot Of Them Can’t Walk
It may not be all that suprising , but people who are that big tend to have a hard time getting out of bed, let alone walking anywhere.
The pain of being that weight can be so intense.
14. A Lot Of The Patients Experienced Childhood Trauma
This may come as no surprise , but a lot of the patients on My 600 Pound Life had some experience in their childhood that helped them along to becoming the overweight people they are today.
A Lot Of The Patients Experienced Childhood Trauma (CONT)
Just so you know, I’m throwing down a trigger warning right here.
Ashley Reyes used food to cope with the fact that she was raped by her uncle at 12.
In her own words:
“I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to feel safe. So I would eat to gain back whatever little happiness I could.”
15. Everyone On The Show Has Enablers
“Why doesn’t this person’s mom/boyfriend/caretaker just give them some healthy food?,” you might ask. Well, the psychology behind it is hard to get your head around.
Sometimes enablers just want to feel wanted, so they keep feeding their obese charges more and more.
16. The Patients Experience A Lot Of Tragedies
For example, Henry Foots almost didn’t make it out of his skin removal surgery.
He apparently even saw a white light, but managed to return to the world of the living… just to die in a car accident years later.
17. The Patients Usually Don’t Even Know How Much They Weigh
Until they actually go on the show .
It’s probably because they lose track of how much they weigh. And honestly, it gets to a point where you even stop counting.
18. Dr. Now Has Been Sued For Malpractice
And yet, they keep featuring him on the show .
Here’s the story:
According to some reports, the good (well, maybe not so good) doctor left a 6.69-inch piece of tubing inside of a patient. Gross!
19. One Woman Was Officially Named “The Heaviest Woman In The World”
And this woman was Pauline Potter , and it should come as no surprise she was given that title by several news outlets considering she weighed 700 pounds.
Apparently, she wasn’t all that cooperative either.
20. They Aren’t All Happy Endings
Take James King for example, who actually gained 150 pounds while he was on the show.
He didn’t listen to any of the doctor’s orders, and apparently now regrets that decision.
21. A Lot Of The Patients Have Boyfriends And Girlfriends
There are quite a few of the subjects on the show that are in the dating scene.
