My 600-lb Life features many patients who are eager to have weight loss surgery, but a sneak peek of the March 1 episode shows that Mark Rutland is just the opposite, and he's now explaining why. So far, season 11 of the series has featured the journeys of Geno Dacunto and his cousin Nico Martone, Latonya Pottain, Wess Schulze, and Syreeta Covington. All of them had varying degrees of success after they sought help from renowned bariatric surgeon, Dr. Younan Nowzaradan. Most patients come to "Dr. Now" hoping to have weight loss operations as soon as possible, but Mark is a notable exception.
My 600-lb Life's Dr. Nowzaradan starts helping patients by putting them on strict diet and exercise regimens. He emphasizes that weight loss surgery is not magic. In other words, it won't work if people are not willing to change their eating habits. They also need to address the mental health issues that cause them to overeat. He wants them to lose a certain amount of weight in order to be healthy enough to qualify for surgery, but also to prove that they are committed to making real changes in their lives. In My 600-lb Life season 11, Mark is a rare case, as he believes that he can slim down without weight loss surgery.
My 600-Lb Life's Mark Rutland Started Out At 715 Pounds
According to People, Mark, a 42-year-old from Orlando, Florida, lived with a binge-eating issue, as well as an addiction to fast food. This led to him weighing 715 pounds. On his My 600-lb Life episode, he shared that doing everyday tasks felt like, "torture" because of his weight. Mark admitted, "When you get to be this size you're definitely broken mentally. I know I'm fat, and I have the ability to change, but I can't stop eating because when I'm eating it's the only time I get relief from the physical pain. It's the only time I'm happy." He decided to seek help from Dr. Now.
My 600-Lb Life's Mark Rutland Decides To Lose The Weight Naturally
After Mark made some changes to his lifestyle in order to lose enough weight to qualify for a bariatric procedure, he decided that he wanted to continue his journey without going under the knife. Despite Dr. Now's medical advice, he believed that he could stay committed to losing weight, and shed 500 pounds naturally. In a preview of Mark's My 600-lb Life episode, which was shared by People, he told his parents that, "everything's been going good." He said that he had been working with a trainer at the gym, who was happy with his weight loss progress. He then admitted, "But with all that being said… I'm not gonna do the surgery ... Hopefully not ever."
My 600-Lb Life's Mark Rutland's Family Disagrees With His Decision
When Mark declared that he was not going to undergo weight loss surgery, his family tried to change his mind. His mother told him that it was a big decision, and advised him to get his sister involved. She called Mark's sister, April, who is a nurse, and his sibling also disagreed with Mark's decision. She told him that weight loss surgery was, "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." The My 600-lb Life star responded, "Yeah, I get it. I got the greatest weight loss doctor in the entire world, and all you guys want me to do it. It's not an easy decision for me not to do this."
Mark's father reminded him that although he was now at 550 pounds, he had only lost 160 pounds. He still had 250 more to go until he was down to 300 pounds. Mark said that he did not want to hear that, but his father answered that he had to. Mark explained, "I can't hear that ...That's the same s— Dr. Now was saying: 'You still have 300 lbs. to lose.' It's like yeah, I don't care." The My 600-lb Life star added, "You work hard, you do everything you can and then the number on the scale, that's gonna take care of itself." When his father asked what three months from now would look like, Mark emphasized, "I have no intention of going backwards." His sister reminded him that he was not going to get the opportunity again. Mark concluded with, "I know, but I'm gonna get the opportunity to see what I'm made of right now."
Mark seems to want to prove something to himself in his My 600-lb Life episode. It appears that he considers weight loss surgery an easy way out, However, others see it as an essential tool that helps people of his size to lose weight and enhance their health. Mark's commitment to achieving his weight loss goal on his own is admirable. It will be interesting to see Mark's final decision on his episode of My 600-lb Life.
My 600-lb Life airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on TLC.
Sources: People, Mark Rutland/TikTok, Mark Rutland/TikTok, Mark Rutland/TikTok