My 600-lb Life
My 600-lb Life is a U.S. reality TV show on TLC that started in 2012. Each episode follows people who are severely overweight—usually at least 600 pounds—as they work to lose weight and become healthier. The show covers about a year in each person’s life, showing their daily challenges, their diet efforts, and, if needed, weight-loss surgery.
Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, known as Dr. Now, oversees the patients. He first has them try to lose weight on a strict diet. If they don’t progress enough, he may offer surgeries like gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy to help them reach a healthier weight.
The series began as a five-part miniseries but became a regular show because of its popularity. Starting in Season 5, some episodes are two hours long. The program also airs update episodes called “Where Are They Now?” that check in on former patients months or years later.
Spinoffs include My 600-Lb Life: Where Are They Now? (began in 2015) and Skin Tight (began in 2016), which shows people dealing with excess skin after weight loss.
As of 2024, the show has 13 seasons and about 152 episodes. It is filmed mainly in Houston, Texas, and produced by Megalomedia.
There have been serious real-life consequences: 22 former patients have died since appearing on the show. Ten lawsuits against the production company were filed and later dismissed by a Texas court in 2022. One notable case involved Destinee LaShaee, the show’s first transgender participant, who sued the show claiming it did not provide promised mental health support; she died in 2022.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 02:58 (CET).