Anyone else obsessed with My 600 lb Life?

[New&Improved 1,780]

Well these people sign a contract to get their surgery paid for and to be on the show but yes I think most reality shows are somewhat exploitative and exaggerated drama for ratings! That's television!

[mattk53 124]

I have to admit it's also a guilty pleasure of mine too. Luckily I started watching it after my surgery. I don't think I would've gotten my sleeve if I watched this show first. Something about them showing pulling the stomach through the hole in the abdomen makes me queasy.

[RLeaT 26]

I cannot stand this show and I hate it and it's exploitative and just awful....
but I've been watching it non stop the past week while I've been preparing for my SADI-s surgery on February 5th (exactly a week!).

But really, this show is awful.
The funniest part? Dr. Now is my friend's dad.

[summerset 5,265]

3 hours ago, ReaganLea said:

I cannot stand this show and I hate it and it's exploitative and just awful....

This.

[ms.sss 15,585]

9 hours ago, ReaganLea said:

I cannot stand this show and I hate it and it's exploitative and just awful....

Ugh. I can't even watch the commercials of it...I will immediate change the channel or mute the TV and look away.

Same for Dr. Pimple Popper. And that Financé one. But I do watch Jersey Shore, so...🤷🏼‍♀️

[Zmc 9]

I can’t seem to be I stop watching it either. Been watching it off and on for years. I am just starting my wls journey. Can’t say whether the show makes me want it do surgery more or less. It’s so sad that so many of the people on it aren’t even able to lose enough to get the surgery.

[RLeaT 26]

3 hours ago, ms.sss said:

Ugh. I can't even watch the commercials of it...I will immediate change the channel or mute the TV and look away.

Same for Dr. Pimple Popper. And that Financé one. But I do watch Jersey Shore, so...🤷🏼‍♀️

The weird thing is that I had only seen bits and pieces of My 600 Lb Life until recently. I've always thought it was abhorrent the way they exploited people struggling with mental health and weight...just disgusting. Lemme tell you it was a bit awkward when I found out Dr. Now was a friend's dad...

But just in the past week since I've been on my pre-op diet (my SADI-s surgery is in less than a week now) I've been watching it...still think it's awful, but watching it all the same. I think I'm watching it because it gives me a glimpse into the process of WLS and puts my mind at ease that so many people have had successful surgeries. I'm incredibly nervous about the actual procedure, and this is helping with that anxiety some...

I don't watch Dr. Pimple Popper because she gets on my nerves for some reason. I have no idea why...she's perfectly lovely. I used to watch her on Youtube a looooong time ago before the TLC show because I'm a pimple popper through and through. LOL (I may have revealed too much about myself with that one....)

[kprince312 10]

I feel like I am learning what not to do by watching this show. It shows the importance of logging your food because those that gain weight seem surprised and will insist they followed the diet. I know if I don’t log it don’t count. I watch them eat and find myself yelling at the tv “stop you know you have to see dr. Now in two weeks” Also it made me think about how I find reasons for eating such as stress or boredom. Neither is a valid reason I eat because I like food, I overeat because I like food and watching the show made me think about myself. I agree it does seem they exploit the people why do they start the show with them nude? That’s not necessary!

[summerset 5,265]

6 hours ago, kprince312 said:

I agree it does seem they exploit the people why do they start the show with them nude?

So stop watching it!

As long as people keep watching the show they agree with the exploitation of these people.

Quote

I feel like I am learning what not to do by watching this show.

If you need a sensational TV show to educate yourself about certain things your treatment team did a job beyond sh*tty so far.

Quote

It shows the importance of logging your food because those that gain weight seem surprised and will insist they followed the diet.

Patients are not always ignorant about their diet. However, they know exactly that they're going to get scolded by their a**hole doctors and/or nutritionists and insist on following their diets to protect themselves.

[Val Rec 2]

Yes!! I watch it and have been watching even before I decided to have surgery. It’s like I can understand even more what they go through.

[Recidivist 1,141]

12 hours ago, RLeaT said:

I don't watch Dr. Pimple Popper because she gets on my nerves for some reason.

Hands off my Dr. Pimple Popper. I love that show! I actually have the same reaction to some of her patients as I have to those on My 600-Pound Life. How did they go so long without doing anything? ("Well, I've had this lump for 28 years and I thought it might be time to get it looked at.")

[Neensyb 111]

Patients are not always ignorant about their diet. However, they know exactly that they're going to get scolded by their a**hole doctors and/or nutritionists and insist on following their diets to protect themselves.

Jeepers a few rough responses there. I thought the initial post was a bit humerous....

[Guest]

28 minutes ago, Neensyb said:

Jeepers a few rough responses there. I thought the initial post was a bit humerous....

Yeah, I agree. And it is, indeed, the response the show is cast and edited to bring. Add that there might be people here who see on TV the sides of people's behaviors they may not like about themselves, and we have a recipe for not-always-rational anger towards the cast.

That said ... I too have watched a bunch of episodes, and aside from 2 or so people that I couldn't find a way to feel for, I really think we're watching slow suicide attempts. Mental disorders are just as real as somatic ones, and the sooner we understand this, the sooner we'll all be better equipped to move forward.

Nobody deserves to be bed-ridden and 600 lbs. It's unheard of where I live; the social system would have helped you waaay before you got to that point (and no welfare checks without being at a mobile weight, either).

[kprince312 10]

3 hours ago, summerset said:

So stop watching it!

As long as people keep watching the show they agree with the exploitation of these people.

If you need a sensational TV show to educate yourself about certain things your treatment team did a job beyond sh*tty so far.

Patients are not always ignorant about their diet. However, they know exactly that they're going to get scolded by their a**hole doctors and/or nutritionists and insist on following their diets to protect themselves.

Ouch, taken out of content. What I was expressing is it help me to reinforce what I should be doing. Personally when I leave a visit I am all excited about doing right but when you get into another environment it is easy to fall back in an old routine of something I have been doing my entire life. I have not had surgery and my insurance did not require 6 months of classes. I am sure your knowledge is more advanced then mine, since you had a great team behind you. After surgery I will be joining the support groups. I think I took your comment as a dig but hoping it was not meant that way. I feel like I just had a Dr. Now experience.

[arrington0711 16]

I can’t relate since I’ve been obsessed from like 2013 (and I wasn’t even large then) I LOVE Dr Now. I do have to say it’s been more disappointing with the new episodes and people not doing what they should..

I also have seen all of the Where Are They Now? episodes and Family by The Ton.. I enjoy shows like that because they’re interesting and I can relate. Another interesting show that I’ve found on YouTube is Supeesize vs Superskinny. They don’t get WLS but it shows both sides of the coin (obesity and anorexia) which are both very unhealthy