My 600lb Wakeup Call

It was on a very lazy Sunday afternoon when I first cast my eyes upon TLC’s 'My 600lb Life'. At first glance, all it seemed to be was a quintessential all-American weight-loss show, that I would eventually lose all interest in, after skimming through a few episodes in my haze of boredom. I’d just binged on two separate bags of chocolate frogs, and I was ready to feel bad about that.

Most shows on weight loss had the habit of making me feel terrible about eating food I knew was bad for me, even though I’m in a very healthy weight range for my height. Eventually, in maybe two or three episodes I would get sick of the feeling, and quit watching the show.

That was where I was wrong, as 9 seasons in, and 225 episodes later, I could certainly count myself as hooked on the reality show. What had started as a shameful watch, of a TV show that I normally would have professed to be something I would never watch, (being a starch declarer that I wouldn’t fall into the pitfalls of my twenty-something-year-old peers who adored all things reality television-related), became a mindless obsession in the matter of a few weeks.

The most grabbing part of this show is that it doesn’t shy away from the truth, showing it in its most horrible nature. The show doesn’t glamourize anything it brings home the startling reality of how unhealthy the world has gotten and highlighting how much emotional distress can impact our eating habits.

The show doesn’t shy away from showing all the negatives that are associated with being over 600lbs, with one episode I sat there watching as 600lb Maja sat on the ground, unable to get up in the middle of a car park, as she cried for what felt like hours – I only had one thought, ‘how could anyone get to that stage?’. The stage where they couldn’t move, couldn’t function – and in Maja’s case, couldn’t fit in the car, fell over, and couldn’t stand.

It was so easy to get caught up in the drama, the blame-shifting and the cheeky snacks they had – only to get called out by the shows leading man, Dr. Now. A no-nonsense doctor who performs weight loss surgery on the patients, and has little patience for people who don’t follow his diet plans, and can’t seem to shed any weight before he will approve them for surgery. It’s on most episodes that you could hear Dr. Now claiming, in his surprisingly cute, old-timer's voice, ‘you aren’t following the diet plan. Stop lying to me, and yourself!’

In the audience, we are all behind the be-speckled doctor, in stanch agreement, crowing ‘how did you fail? He had given you a whole plan? They’re not ready to commit! They’re still eating – why can’t they take any responsibility for their actions!?”

I followed suit quite readily, as I devoured an entire liter of ice-cream. Not even realizing the hypocrisy of my actions – as I shamed the people on my screen for struggling with something I was doing, without thought. That was when this story hit me when the true purpose of what I heard in Dr. Now’s voice.

It was easy – it is easy to give into disordered eating. It is incredibly easy to chow down on all sorts of food without meaning to. There’s always the thought in the back of your head, “I’m not that bad. I’m in a pretty healthy weight range. I can totally eat that entire cheesecake!”

Then you blink, and you’re at a weight range that’s unhealthy – you’re on the brink of death. You can’t move, you can’t get into a car, you can’t do the simple things. They’re giving themselves the same excuses I was giving myself just last week. The only difference is that I haven’t gained all the weight, yet. I was on the way through, and this show was certainly the wake-up call I needed.

I didn’t want to be struggling like what I saw on this show; this obsession with a silly reality show brought my perspective back into clear, and painfully sharp focus. Now, I watch and re-watch this show daily, and it’s changed my life - and helps keep me grounded in my own day-to-day life.

Honestly speaking, if it hadn’t been for tough COVID-19 restrictions in my state, where I wasn’t able to leave the house, I never would have touched this show, and I wouldn’t be watching episodes daily. I wouldn’t have started to eat more consciously, and I wouldn’t have started to exercise regularly, which has now become my escape. Even at my healthy weight range, I have lost 10kilos in the last three months!

It really goes to show, you really should never be embarrassed to admit to the shows you’re watching – because you never know which show is going to change your life for the better.