TLC's Chuck Love shared a heart-breaking story of his struggles with weight loss and social isolation. The "Big & Little" star explained why obesity stalks Little People more than those who are not height-challenged. And his story sheds light on patients on another TLC Reality TV show, "My 600-lb Life."
Little people face big weight struggles
Little people face many unique challenges, not the least of which is excess weight gain. Chuck Love explained that though he small, his BMI (body mass index) makes him morbidly obese. The BMI is an algorithm that calculates body fat based on a height to weight ratio.
Love's diminished height throws his BMI all off-kilter. At 42 inches, the "Big & Little" star can only weigh 62 pounds before he is overweight. 76 pounds represents a 30.3 BMI and obesity. At 135 pounds, Love's BMI is 47.9 and much of that is problematic belly fat.
Chuck Love opens up on weight loss
The reality TV star says he's actually wider, with a 52-inch waist, than he is tall. As a child, his dwarfism specialist warned that weight would always be a problem. Little people are normal-sized in some body parts. Appetites aren't smaller, necessarily, with smaller size. Chuck knew that back, leg and hip trouble would plague him as an adult with a foreshortened frame. Additional weight increases pain and immobility.
So both exercise and weight loss are difficult for the "Big & Little" actor. Belly fat is a leading cause of Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and other health problems as well.
"Big & Little" shines light on "My 600-lb Life"
Love's doctor warned him to mind his weight as a kid. But reality television star didn't listen. Now, at 31, it's much harder.
This message is one preached by bariatric surgery specialist Dr. Younan Nowzaradan of TLC "My 600-lb Life." Dr. Now is always warning people to lose weight now rather than later. It prevents overweight folks from needing gastric bypass surgery. And those who have weight loss surgery have a better chance of success (and survival) the younger they are.
Love shared good news on Youtube: he's dropped to 115 pounds and working to shed more.
"Big & Little" teaches vital lesson on weight loss
Little people are born with smaller stomachs, though maybe not as small as their height would suggest. Gastric bypass surgery creates stomachs that are 20 percent of normal. Neither "My 600-lb Life" nor "Big & Little" stars can eat as much as a person with a normal-sized stomach. So the takeaway is that if you want to lose weight, eat as if you had that 80-smaller stomach. Follow Dr. Now's 1,200 calorie bariatric surgery diet to shrink your stomach. Do it before you are overweight and you can avoid stretched skin. Neither weight loss nor exercise shrinks skin, which is why so many TLC patients want skin removal plastic surgery and tummy tuck procedures.
