My 600-Lb Life has shown several morbidly obese people trying to lose weight on the show, but some weren't helped by those close to them. The effort that the main cast members put into following the strict regimens given to them by Dr. Younan Nowzaradan is commendable. As the routines stretched them to their limits and beyond, they needed support systems. Usually, the show's overweight stars looked to family members for physical and emotional assistance. Sometimes, relatives who were supposed to help did more harm than good.
Dr. Now is a Texas-based bariatric surgeon. His My 600 Lb Life weight loss regimens are hard to follow. This means that losing weight is a tough task for a patient, which is made more challenging by the trauma, anxiety, and depression that they face. In light of these issues, it's understandable that a cast member having the right person in their corner may be the difference between life and death. While some support systems provide morale, others exacerbate a patient's problems. Dr. Now can only do so much to bring about the change that patients want to see. Some people have been tagged as the worst enablers, because they encouraged patients to avoid losing weight, or even went so far as to help them gain pounds.
James King's wife seems to be topping the list of enablers, according to fans on a Reddit thread started by Paint_Her. James, who weighed nearly 800 pounds when he started on the show, gained weight by the end of the episode. Dr. Now accused his wife of sneaking him food that wasn't permitted on his diet. The physician ordered Lisa King to leave the hospital for five days, but the spouse refused. Sadly, James died at the age of 49, from kidney failure, after not being able to get the surgery. See Dr. Now talk about honesty and weight loss below:
James wasn't the only one with an enabling partner. Zsalynn Whitworth's husband Gareth Wainwright was also tagged as an enabler, after he threatened to divorce her if she got bariatric surgery. Her husband is attracted to morbidly obese women. He wanted her to add more weight, refused to order a salad for her, and bought her fattening foods right after her operation. She eventually divorced him. Despite all this, Zsalynn from My 600 Lb Life eventually lost weight, dropping from 597 pounds to somewhere around 250 pounds.
Partners weren't the only enablers, as two moms made it to the top of the Reddit list. One of them is Margaret Johnson's mother, Millie. This mother seemed to be overcompensating for abandonment by indulging her poor eating habits. Viewers also heard her verbally abuse Margaret when she thought that the cameras weren't rolling. Margaret did eventually manage to get the surgery, and her mother claims that she's lost over 340 pounds, after starting at 750 pounds. Another parent was Sean Milliken's mom, Renee. Sean weighed in at over 900 pounds, and managed to lose over 400 pounds. Until her passing, his mom continued to indulge him by helping him to access unhealthy foods. Sadly, two years later, he died.
Fans of the show have seen patients with enablers survive. Some of these My 600 Lb Life stars even thrive after the show. However, others are not so lucky. The psychological aspect of My 600-Lb Life is not lost on most fans, and this makes having a good support system even more important.
Source: Paint_Her/Reddit