Summary
When I watchMy 600-Lb Life, I feel a lot… cast members suffer on the show, and the things they go through upset me. I sometimes think about the show’s stars later on because a part of me is still feeling their pain. I’m a Pisces (i.e. an intensely emotional person) - and, in my opinion, this show is the most wrenching of them all. While I’m moved by a lot of stuff, from songs to books to films and art,watching other people deal with addiction really gets to me. It triggers me.
There’s a good reason why I’m so affected by what I see - someone I love was an addict and nearly died due to their issues. The person was within minutes of death before being revived by medical personnel. So, whenMy 600-Lb Lifestars grapple with food addiction, I know that they are fighting tough battles. Ten people who’ve appeared on the series have passed away sinceMy 600-Lb Lifedebuted in 2012,including show alums James King, Henry Foots and Gina Krasley. This is terribly sad, and underscores the fact that overcoming addiction is often a matter of life or death.
No other unscripted show has this kind of gritty authenticity. The journeys are so grueling - it’s all too real. While there are bright moments, the agony typically outweighs the ecstasy.
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Dr. Now Tries To Help My 600-Lb Life Patients
Sometimes It’s Too Late
At Reddit, the people who appear on the series are torn apart. They’re mocked for their eating habits, their hygiene and more. They’re called villains, slobs, and losers. At the best of times,Redditisn’t exactly a hotbed of compassion (everyone knows this), but the people who attack these vulnerable reality stars (alive and deceased) don’t understand addiction. It clearly hasn’t touched them on a personal level.
I caught you knockin' at my cellar door
I love you, baby, can I have some more?
Ooh, ooh, the damage done - The Needle And The Damage Done (Neil Young)
If they were able to understand, they would probably be gentler.There is no difference between a drug addict or a sex addict, or an alcoholic or an emotional eater. All of these problems start in one place - the heart.
Some My 600-Lb Life Stars Carry So Much Trauma
Isaac Martinez' Trauma Led To Addiction
The cast members who are ripped apart on social media are highly fragile beings. They are mentally ill - depressed and exhausted. Their stories are heartbreaking.In some cases, life broke their spirits long ago.While some of them did behave horribly on the show, includingSteven and Justin Assanti, it’s not so surprising that they lashed out. Another cast member, Isaac Martinez (learn about his journey in the clip shown above) dug so deep to improve his life. His courage is inspiring.
I sing the song because I love the man
I know that some of you don’t understand - The Needle And The Damage Done (Neil Young)
The trauma they endured in the past scarred them psychologically, pushing them towards “out of control” eating that put their lives at risk. Trying to change their ingrained habits, which soothed them when they were in emotional pain, was trauma on top of trauma. However, the security blanket that is emotional eating can kill and has killed.
This paradox - the need to self-soothe and the"damage done"by self-soothing, is what’s so wrenching. In many cases, the cast members are incredibly sensitive people who are “eating their emotions.” The same person who will give you the shirt off their back may be the one who gets lost in addiction. Life isn’t fair and people make mistakes. Lots of addicts are good people.
At the beginning ofIsaac’sMy 600-Lb Lifejourney, he weighed 661 pounds. With the help of Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, Isaac lost 122 pounds. That wasn’t enough to qualify for bariatric surgery, but if you know Isaac’s story, you’ll understand that it was still a victory. Trauma changed his brain, creating a compulsion that left him eating almost constantly. He was trying to cope with the horrors of his life.
What was so wrong? Well, when Isaac appeared on the show, his mom was very sick - she had cancer. During childhood, something awful happened that changed his life forever. His mother had a stroke, and because it was so serious, he needed to grow up much too fast. He had to take care of his siblings. At that time, he was only 10 years old. As per the show:
While learning to cook for his family, he began comfort-eating. Now, to avoid eating himself to death, Isaac must learn to take care of himself for a change.
That is Isaac’s side of the story - his life was very, very hard. Today, he seems fine, although his current weight is unknown. He lives in Dallas andmakes adorable crocheted teddy bears - they hold hearts in their little hands. This is the person that a Redditor called out for eating off paper plates with his family. They don’t like other overweight people who eat off paper plates either! In a thread started bydeleted, they said:
I follow a fat acceptance blogger and she, her family and her friends all eat off paper plates. Every single picture has piles of food on disposable plates, and plastic cutlery too. The epitome of laziness.
Isaac wasn’t lazy when he helped his mother to care for her children. He was there when his loved ones needed him. Yes, he ate too much - food numbed his emotions for a while. From this standpoint, his addiction is completely understandable. However, as perReddit, he’s a slothful person who doesn’t deserve empathy.
Trauma on top of trauma on top of trauma.The cast member who suffers and then becomes an addict goes on a reality show and becomes a target for trolls - as though Isaac wasn’t heckled enough when he walked the streets at 661 pounds. Some people who film the show regret it and this is why. Below is a list of all of the cast members who passed away, may they rest in peace:
Destinee LaShaee died on
Gina Krasley died on
Coliesa McMillian died on
James King died on
Kelly Mason died on
Sean Milliken died on
Lisa Fleming died on
Robert Buchel died on
Henry Foots died on
June 13, 2025
My600-lb Lifeis the real deal. It’s as real as real gets. It’s often painful to watch the cast members struggle with their mobility issues. Some can’t get out of bed without help. They eat and eat, and then they feel sad - they feel a sense of self-loathing. When they try to diet, as per Dr. Now’s instructions, they may or may not succeed. Some will live and others will die. Their stories are important.
When My 600-Lb Life Stars Overcome Their Problems, It’s Moving
Life Isn’t Easy For The Show’s Stars
Another cast member, Cindy Vela, was molested when she was a young girl. That trauma she carried led her to overeat. She eventually lost 241 pounds. InThe Needle and The Damage Done, Neil sings,
“every junkie’s like the setting sun,”
but not always.Some addicts overcome their problems. When they do, it’s very powerful, like the sun rising.
WhenMy 600-Lb Lifecast members pass away, the people they leave behind suffer. Addiction hurts families as well as addicts. While watching the show can be hard, it’s worthwhile - the stories are so human. However, people who trash the cast members online may want to go a little deeper. These reality stars aren’t cartoon characters or circus animals. They’re real human beings. Trying to understand where they’re coming from is the key to understanding addiction and what it does. It all starts in the heart.
