Weight loss journeys, especially those documented on reality television, often captivate audiences with their displays of transformation and resilience. Shows like "My 600-lb Life" and "Extreme Weight Loss" have provided a platform for individuals to share their struggles and triumphs as they strive to improve their health. This article delves into updates on cast members from various extreme weight loss shows, exploring their experiences, challenges, and successes, while also addressing some of the controversies surrounding these productions.
"My 600-Lb Life": Updates and Transformations
"My 600-lb Life" is one of TLC's most successful shows, boasting 13 seasons to date. The show follows "morbidly obese" patients for a year as they embark on a weight loss journey led by Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, better known as Dr. Now. His patients are shown at their most vulnerable moments as they face diet changes, portion control, exercise, and gastric bypass surgery. Clips from the show often resurface as compilations of cast members, like sisters Amy and Tammy Slaton, and Dr. Now.
Brianne Smith Dias
Brianne Smith Dias, a star of "My 600 Lb Life," has been in the spotlight with significant life updates. In anticipation of her "Where Are They Now?" episode, viewers have witnessed a stunning transformation. Brianne's years of work with Dr. Now, along with completely new and healthy habits, have helped her shed over 500 pounds from her peak weight. If you’re looking for a My 600 Lb Life Brianne 2021 update, you might accidentally miss this one. We’ve used the word “unrecognizable” to describe My 600 Lb Life cast members before - but Brianne might have the most stunning transformation we’ve ever seen.
However, amidst her weight loss success, Brianne faced personal heartbreak. She confirmed the loss of one of her twins at around the tenth week of pregnancy. Gossip about My 600 Lb Life star Brianne Smith Dias engaged to a new love has been making the rounds of late. Normally, Brianne is pretty open on social media and engages with her fans on the regular. So it seemed a little odd that she was keeping mum about the rumors.
Justin McSwain
Justin McSwain, a Season 7 star, has also experienced a remarkable transformation. Justin’s latest before and after pics reveal a transformation that rivals the most complete we’ve ever seen from the show’s cast. He appeared to bid farewell to the show, capping off his weight loss success with a "Where Are They Now?" episode. If you don’t recognize My 600 Lb Life star Justin McSwain in the photo above, we can’t blame you. So where is Justin McSwain now? How is he doing?
Read also: Their Weight Loss Journeys After the Show
Milla Clark
Milla Clark's journey on "My 600 Lb Life" has been nothing short of extraordinary. We were happy to crown Milla Clark the biggest loser in My 600 Lb Life history. How is Milla Clark now? According to our ongoing updates on the show’s cast, Milla is the first person in Dr. Now’s care to have lost more than 600 pounds. As of her most recent "Where Are They Now?" episode, Milla had lost the weight of “3 or 4 people,” a testament to her dedication and hard work. She just became the first My 600 Lb Life cast member to lose 600 pounds, but is Milla Clark walking again? And how does she look now?
JT Clark
The My 600 Lb Life JT episode is one fans have been awaiting eagerly, even if they didn’t know it. It turns out that native Oklahoman JT Clark is the person behind the mystery 892 pound weigh-in we saw in the Season 8 trailer a few weeks back.
Diana Bunch
Season 5 and "Where Are They Now?" star Diana Bunch recently acknowledged she’s done with filming. It’s a bittersweet update on My 600 Lb Life Diana now. The veteran is celebrating one of the show’s all-time biggest success stories - and bidding farewell to her time in front of the camera.
Brittani Fulfer
Life is a mixed bag for My 600 Lb Life cast member Brittani Fulfer now, but she’s fighting the good fight with help from a brand-new bundle of joy. Though Brittani’s been battling more than her fair share of issues since her most recent "Where Are They Now?"
Janine Mueller
My 600 Lb Life and Where Are They Now? star Janine Mueller has has one of the show’s most successful weight loss stories over the past few seasons.
Read also: Extreme Weight Loss: Season 4 Revisited
Marla McCants
Thanks in part to a stormy end to her time on the show, there are more rumors and gossip about My 600 Lb Life star Marla McCants than possibly any other cast member. Is Marla McCants still alive? Does she really have the show’s biggest weight loss? Marla McCants is the rare My 600 Lb Life cast member whose weight loss journey has actually become more dramatic since she stopped filming for the show.
Mayra Rosales
Everything in Mayra Rosales’ life has changed since the then-1,040 pound woman was found not guilty of killing her two-year-old nephew by falling on him. How is Mayra Rosales now?
Controversies and Legal Issues
However, "My 600-lb Life" has a darker side filled with untold truths. While stars like Melissa Morris, Joe Wexler, and Amber Rachdi successfully transformed their bodies while on the hit TLC show, there are also many subjects' stories on "My 600-lb Life" that didn't end well. Excessive weight loss can have negative effects on an individual's mental health and worsen their relationship with food. For varying reasons, many "My 600-lb Life" cast members have unfortunately died. There have also been discrepancies over medical expenses and mental health services, resulting in a plethora of lawsuits against TLC's production company, Megalomedia. The business is owned by Dr.
Several cast members have taken legal action against Megalomedia, the production company behind "My 600-lb Life," citing various grievances, including unpaid medical bills, lack of mental health support, and alleged exploitation.
James "L.B." Bonner
Season 6's James "L.B." Bonner lost over 200 pounds by the end of his feature. However, in 2018, he died by suicide, and his family filed a lawsuit against the show's producers for not paying for medical expenses and "gross negligence" for their lack of response to his mental health struggles. The lawsuit claimed that while filming the show, Bonner was forced to do emotionally distressing things like cut his facial hair and miss out on work opportunities. At some point, Bonner's depression worsened to the point that it began to impact his appearance. The lawsuit detailed that the rapid weight loss caused his teeth to fall out, vision impairment, and overall despondency.
Read also: Side Effects of Extreme Fit Keto Gummies
Bonner reportedly texted a production assistant, "I'm not in a good place right now, it's dark" and "I had a breakdown" (via Starcasm). The reply of "Fake it till you make it" proved ineffective. James "L.B." Bonner was 30 years old at the time of his death.
David Bolton
David Bolton and his brother Benji Bolton appeared on a single episode during the sixth season of "My 600-lb Life." With a starting weight of 747 pounds, David was able to lose 452 pounds by the end of his TV journey and has reportedly lost even more weight since then. Despite his success, David's lawsuit against the TLC company cited unpaid bills, lack of mental health support, and traumatic experiences while filming. The suit also claimed that after David's weight loss procedure, he experienced "extreme frustration and depression" (via Starcasm). David also pointed out the lack of empathy displayed by the production team.
David Bolton's attorney also represented the family of Season 6' James "L.B." Bonner who died by suicide due to depression following ill-treatment from the show. David sought $1 million in damages and aimed to make a difference for future participants of the show. Megalomedia denied responsibility for the medical expenses and David's suffering.
Maja Radanovic
Maja Radanovic made her debut on Season 7 of "My 600-lb Life," weighing in at 689 pounds. Radanovic only shed 93 pounds while following Dr. Now's program, and was unable to qualify for the gastric bypass surgery. However, she continued her journey after her appearance and eventually underwent the procedure. The plaintiff believed that Megalomedia showed a clear disregard for Radanovic's health.
The lawsuit stated, "Their actions are so outrageous in character and so extreme in degree that they go beyond all possible bounds of decency and are regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized community." Furthermore, the document noted that boosting ratings seemed to be the main priority for the company's staff.
Gina Marie Krasley
Season 8's fifth episode centered around Gina Marie Krasley, who weighed 588 pounds at the episode's start. At the end of the episode, she'd lost only a little over 50 pounds and had to have her surgery postponed. In February 2020, Krasley filed a lawsuit against all of Jonathan Nowzaradan's companies affiliated with "My 600-lb Life" for over $1 million. and LLC, parent company DBA Holdings, and contractor Mansfield Films.
Gina Marie Krasley also alleged that the production team forced her to overeat to add drama to the show. Her lawsuit stated, "they required her to eat excessive amounts of food on screen to portray her as someone who could not follow the diet. Defendants created this narrative and then for Dr. Nowzaradan to express disappointment to her for failing to follow the diet and failing to obtain the necessary amount of weight loss to be a candidate for surgery." Sadly, the 30-year-old died at her home in New Jersey with her loved ones present in August 2021.
Jeanne Covey
Jeanne Covey appeared in Season 7 of "My 600-lb Life." By the end of her journey, Covey weighed 388 pounds, significantly less than her starting weight of 702 pounds. Despite her transformation, the cast member filed a lawsuit against the show's production company for the same reason the others did - Megalomedia allegedly reneged on paying medical bills. Additionally, Covey claimed the producers faked a lot of her episode and actually threatened her and her mother, Barbara Fallaw, with a lawsuit if they did not continue to film after the death of her father.
The lawsuit read, "These threats and demands significantly worsened Ms. Covey's already weakened emotional state." The plaintiff claimed the producers used this as an opportunity to push the narrative that she was failing to adhere to Dr. Now's program. Interestingly, a soundbite of Covey trying to quit the show was played during her episode. Speaking for her mom as well, she said, "With my dad gone, we can't leave the dogs alone, and I can't go by myself. So I'm just not in a place to do Dr. Now's program.
Dorothy "Dottie" Perkins
Dorothy "Dottie" Perkins appeared in three episodes of Season 4's "My 600-lb Life." As a result of Dr. Now's plan, Perkins went from 641 pounds to 295 pounds, a standout accomplishment in the show's history. Her lawsuit was the same as the previously mentioned stars regarding medical expenses and accusations of dramatization. However, what makes Perkins' claim unique is that she accused Megalomedia of lying to viewers about the progress of her weight journey.
During the show, Dr. Now ordered the plaintiff to stay in the hospital so his team could monitor what she was eating. According to the lawsuit, the producers forced Perkins to eat large amounts of unhealthy food. This would, in turn, cause her to butt heads with Dr. Now. Per Starcasm, the lawsuit read, "He would criticize her for not being able to follow the diet. [Megalomedia] falsely portrayed that Plaintiff was gaining weight when she was actually losing weight.
Nicole Lewis
At 23 years old, Nicole Lewis appeared on Season 5 of "My 600-lb Life." At the start of her episode, she weighed 684 pounds, and ended her feature engaged and 163 pounds lighter. Lewis was the seventh cast member to sue Megalomedia for unpaid medical expenses and other broken promises. The plaintiff called the company fraudulent for agreeing to pay for her surgeries in exchange for participation in their shows.
On "My 600-lb Life," Lewis underwent a gastric sleeve procedure and was promised an excess skin removal surgery for participating in the "Where Are They Now?" spin-off. "As set forth above, Defendants [Megalomedia] made a material representation to Plaintiff [Nicole Lewis] that was false, that is, that they would cover all medical bills associated with the medical and surgeries if she would agree to participate in the show," the legal document read (via Starcasm). Furthermore, in the lawsuit, Lewis claimed the producers also promised to move her to Houston and pay her rent for six months. The plaintiff said that despite Megalomedia's failure to keep its end of the agreements, she was expected to continue filming and adjust her schedule for their convenience.
Annjeanette Whaley
Annjeanette Whaley made her debut on Season 7 of "My 600-lb Life" at 679 pounds. By the end of her journey with Dr. Now, Whaley received surgery and lost 274 pounds. She joined the string of lawsuits filed against Megalomedia in 2020 with many of the same claims as her previously mentioned cast mates. She was also the third at this point to accuse the production company of fraud.
Supporting her claims of financial challenges, Whaley started a GoFundMe for a wedding dress ahead of her October 2022 ceremony. "I am getting married on October 22, 2022, and I'm hoping to be able to wear something I feel beautiful in on the day that's supposed to be the best day of my life," Whaley wrote on the fundraising page (via TV Shows Ace). "I am on disability so with bills and monthly other emergencies coming up I just can't afford the dress.
Destinee Lashaee
Season 7 star Destinee Lashaee began her episode of "My 600-lb Life" at 669 pounds. Amid dealing with family drama and the grief of her brother's death, Lashaee, the first trans star on the show, was able to shed 229 pounds by the end of her journey with Dr. Now. "I feel like all I'm constantly doing is just trying to escape all my depression and pain at this point," Lashaee said on the show. "And food is the only thing I have to turn to to do that.
Given her existing mental health struggles, the pressure placed on Lashaee by producers reportedly only worsened her psychological state. Like other cast members, Lashaee accused Megalomedia of scripting and exaggerating scenes, noting that when she challenged them, they'd threaten to stop payments for her weight loss surgery. Producers also reportedly made her change her appearance, a traumatic scene that ended up being cut - just one of the many things "My 600-lb Life" hid from viewers. "Defendants also pressured [Destinee Lashaee] to shave her face, which is a source of stress and anxiety to Plaintiff," the lawsuit stated (via Starcasm). "The stress led Plaintiff to have a breakdown in which she kicked the producers out of her home, and threatened to kill them and herself.
Alicia Kirgan
Alicia Kirgan appeared on Season 6 of "My 600-lb Life" with a starting weight of 622 pounds. She lost 186 pounds and weighed 436 pounds by her episode's end. She underwent bariatric surgery and appeared on an episode of "Where Are They Now?" in 2020. The unique aspect of Kirgan's lawsuit is that she accused the show's team of tampering with her medical questionnaire for her operation. "Plaintiff was provided a five-question mental health survey a couple of hours before her procedure that asked questions with true or false answers," the lawsuit read (via Starcasm).
The lawsuits of Maja Radanovic, Jeanne Covey, Barbara J. Fallaw, Dorothy "Dottie" Perkins, Annjeanette Whaley, Alicia Kirgan, and Destinee Lashaee were brought together in a consolidated case against Megalomedia, which filed Texas Citizen's Participation Act (TCPA) motions to dismiss it.
"Extreme Weight Loss"
Extreme Weight Loss (originally titled Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition for its first two seasons) was a television program on ABC that premiered on May 30, 2011. ABC announced it had ordered six episodes of the series on October 22, 2009, under the title Obese.[1] On September 20, 2010, Chris Powell was announced as the trainer for the show, renamed Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition.
Brandi Mallory
Former “Extreme Weight Loss” participant Brandi Mallory died last month at age 40 from “complications of obesity,” according to an autopsy report. The document from the Fulton County Medical Examiner, obtained by People, listed Mallory’s death as “natural” and found that there was “no evidence of significant recent injury.” The report, the magazine said, also noted that trace amounts of marijuana and alcohol were in the former reality star’s system, but that they didn’t factor into her death. A spokesperson for the medical examiner did not immediately respond Wednesday to The Times.
Mallory, who also worked as a makeup artist and advocated for body positivity, participated in the fourth season of ABC’s makeover reality show “Extreme Weight Loss” in 2014. While on the program, Mallory lost nearly 150 pounds and later started a podcast in which she discussed it. She was found dead Nov. 9 in Stone Mountain, Ga. Law enforcement officials said that she was discovered unconscious in her car in a parking lot after picking up dinner from a restaurant the previous night. Mallory was raised by Mormon parents and grew up participating in the world of beauty pageants. When Mallory was 10, a pageant judge commented harshly on her weight and, by the time she was 12, Mallory decided to pull out of competitions because of constant criticism.
According to a 2018 interview, the Clark Atlanta University alum said she decided to begin losing weight after one of her sorority sisters died at age 29 of a heart attack. “It was devastating … and I was literally waking up every day like, ‘This might be my last day waking up,’” she said. “When it’s playing on your mind that, ‘I might have to do something about my weight because I’m afraid that I might die too,’ then you might need to pay attention to something like that.”
Chris Powell, who served as the host and trainer on “Extreme Weight Loss,” spoke fondly of his time with Mallory following her death. “She just had that spark of life and love,” Powell told People in November. “This whole thing really sucks, the fact that she’s gone. But I mean, gosh, spending a year with someone, you go through a lot and we share a lot. Countless times of just all hanging out together and just laughing our asses off and having fun and joking around and playing pranks on people.” A funeral service for Mallory took place on Nov. 20 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Tucker, Ga., and was attended by her friends and family.
Other Weight Loss Journeys in the Public Eye
Tiffany Franco Smith
Rumors have been swirling for weeks that 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After star Tiffany Franco Smith might have had gastric sleeve weight loss surgery, and the 30-year-old reality star confirmed the rumors during an Instagram live session Saturday night.
Conclusion
The world of extreme weight loss shows is filled with inspiring stories of transformation, but it is also fraught with challenges and controversies. Cast members often face immense physical and emotional hurdles, and some have alleged exploitation and inadequate support from production companies. While these shows can raise awareness about obesity and inspire viewers to pursue healthier lifestyles, it is crucial to critically examine the ethical considerations and potential negative impacts on participants. The updates on cast members from "My 600-lb Life" and "Extreme Weight Loss" serve as a reminder of the complexities and nuances of weight loss journeys, both on and off the screen.