Are you or someone you love struggling at an extreme weight over 600Lbs?

BariatricPal is working with the producers of My 600 Lb Life and searching for individuals weighing 600 pounds or more who are ready to make a life change.

My 600-lb life follows the lives of real people suffering from super obesity that embark on a year-long journey to regain their health. If approved they receive gastric Bypass Surgery.

Each episode tells the powerful story of one super obese individual. Many are home-bound, relying on family care just to live day to day. They make the courageous decision to save their lives and change their world forever.

If this describes you or someone you know, then please send the following information to us via email to castingcalls@BariatricPal.com :

• Name
• Age
• Height
• Weight
• City, State
• Brief Bio
• Phone number

These show's are about entertainment. They take a tragic person and use their life story for entertainment to others. Sponsors' won't sponsor them if they don't get viewers, therefore they use shock and awe to get the largest audience possible. Their audience isn't the small group of people seeking gastric surgery, it is as big an audience as it can get.

What is the objective of the show? First and foremost the objective is to make money.

As I mentioned before, for people like us who have battled with weight problems, we have an empathy and some understanding of what it is to struggle with these issues. But the majority of viewers are there for the shock value.

How we all got this way is a combination of many things. Eating too much, not exercising enough, giving up, laziness, mental health issues, lack of education, addiction we are all dealing with some or all of these issues. I personally was well on my way to 600lbs and I am guilty of all of these things.

What works for some will not work for another, we have to remember that everyone here had their own journey in life to reach where they are now.

We are all here to support each other and I hope we can continue that without allowing different journeys and experiences to get in the way.

The irony of obese people who had to to resort to WLS judging other obese people who had to resort to WLS is staggering.

Obese is obese. Whether you're 250 pounds or 650 pounds, the struggles are basically the same.

Be humble and remember that.

These show's are about entertainment. They take a tragic person and use their life story for entertainment to others. Sponsors' won't sponsor them if they don't get viewers, therefore they use shock and awe to get the largest audience possible. Their audience isn't the small group of people seeking gastric surgery, it is as big an audience as it can get.
What is the objective of the show? First and foremost the objective is to make money.
As I mentioned before, for people like us who have battled with weight problems, we have an empathy and some understanding of what it is to struggle with these issues. But the majority of viewers are there for the shock value.
How we all got this way is a combination of many things. Eating too much, not exercising enough, giving up, laziness, mental health issues, lack of education, addiction we are all dealing with some or all of these issues. I personally was well on my way to 600lbs and I am guilty of all of these things.
What works for some will not work for another, we have to remember that everyone here had their own journey in life to reach where they are now.
We are all here to support each other and I hope we can continue that without allowing different journeys and experiences to get in the way.

Well, the point of ANY show is to make money. So I'm not sure that's supposed to be a bad thing.

The show also opens the world of the disease of obesity, like no other show ever has. It is not only relatable by obese people, but also by those family or friends of obese people who won't listen to their obese loved one.

Bottom line? That show has many many viewers. Thankfully, people who are obese can be heard like never before. Entertainment? I doubt it. Most people looking for entertainment would not turn on this show. Before I had surgery, watching that show helped me tremendously. I actually couldn't believe that there was such a show.

Dr. Nowzardan is one of the best bariatric surgeons on the planet. And he gets to show the world the issues with the disease, the surgeries, and how the success of losing weight is up to the person, not the surgery, all of which are true.

There are definitely people in this world who are not obese who have somewhat of a better understanding about it because of this show. Is it perfect? No. But does it need to be.

I'm also glad they show completely stubborn people, who refuse to follow the doctors orders, a lot like real life.

As far as why we are obese, there are a lot of reasons, including illness(s) (like me) and everyone's story is different. Another reason I like the show.

So I will be watching that show, and hope it continues on for years to come.

3 hours ago, Greensleevie said:

The irony of obese people who had to to resort to WLS judging other obese people who had to resort to WLS is staggering.

Obese is obese. Whether you're 250 pounds or 650 pounds, the struggles are basically the same.

Be humble and remember that.

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I mean one must be considered OBESE aka fat (i'm talking love love relationship with cookies, candies, pizza and tacos not just oh I have a little pudge) by a medical professional, go through appointment after appointment, literally have their stomach surgically removed- by at least 80%- then have the nerve to say oh well THOSE fat people are just lazy! That's crazy to me - my OPINION - if it was just about being lazy vs being "unlazy" (new word I just made up) then why not just stop being lazy????????? Its easy right?????? I've had a hard time with weight for a while and when I recently decided to take steps toward having the surgery I told myself "Enough is enough." I've lost weight before and gained again then lost again, was able to keep it stable for while and then regained again. Ultimately I realized that I need help...from a medical professional. I put my current weight-275 lbs but I certainly emphasize with the people on that show and people like them (except that one heffa frying chicken in her bed. she coulda burned down the house )- on this site because I thought this site would be a place where people would have a little more understanding of the whole "weight" issue and just how real and difficult it is and are here to support each other through it or be a motivation to those just starting out but some of these people are ... seriously!!!!!

My point is not to judge people with weight problems, my point is to judge the makers of the show and their objectives.

2 minutes ago, Laggy said:

My point is not to judge people with weight problems, my point is to judge the makers of the show and their objectives.

I was referring to some other comments

30 minutes ago, NuNu2005 said:

I was referring to some other comments

These threads get so confusing Thanks

On 8/4/2017 at 5:42 AM, Laggy said:

I personally think it is taking advantage of someone who is in a desperate situation. It is an opportunity to show the voyeurs the warts and all of being fat, instead of exploring it as an illness. Why is it necessary to show them naked in the shower or someone else having to wipe their bums.

In my opinion this is purely for the entertainment of people who do not understand the illness and tragedy behind super obesity.

For people like us who have weight problems we can see the struggle and pain and it can be motivating. We are but a small portion of the watching audience and the rest is humiliating and dehumanizing.

Inside every overweight person is someone with feelings and problems and hopes and dreams. Surely it would be better to explore the illness from all sides rather than focus on the surgery and the way they look.

As the message says this is a CASTING call, to me, that says it all.

Just my thoughts on this.

It is entertainment. That's what TLC does as a business. In exchange for entertaining others, you get a free life savings surgery that many doctors aren't willing to do. This entertainment has saved the lives of everyone who has appeared on the show, plus many others who were inspired to get it after watching. The entertainment is what subsidizes the cost of the surgery.

Hi SGC I do understand what you are saying, but I would not like to be paraded around in such a way for the entertainment of others. Why must people be humiliated and degraded in order to be able to get a life saving surgery.

Edited August 5, 20179 yr by Laggy
also

Clearly the people that appear on this show have no other way of getting the help that they need.

On August 3, 2017 at 5:25 PM, sgc said:

That's why the $30,000 surgery is free. Honestly it was after watching this show that I decided to get surgery so I don't consider it a freak show.

I agree. I had a Facebook friend who had surgery but after watching the show and seeing, wait, people actually do this surgery and what it entails, I made the decision to have surgery. Without the show, I'd still be morbidly obese!

19 hours ago, Laggy said:

My point is not to judge people with weight problems, my point is to judge the makers of the show and their objectives.

i was referring to the comments made by heycrystal2052

I think this show has probably saved many lives. Both with viewers seeing something of themselves in the people profiled and also most of the people on this show are poor with no insurance. Getting the surgery for free by telling their story and hopefully inspiring others is a small price to pay for a life changing surgery.

and the producers of the show have 2 goals..

1. Have a lot of viewers

2. Make a lot of money.

They are not a charity and shouldn't be though of as such..

If they save lives in the process that is great.