"My 600-lb Life" chronicles the biggest celebrity weight loss stories ever. But the reality show stars aren't Hollywood celebs. They're morbidly obese and, in their own words, the most miserable people on the planet. Patients express heart-breaking anxiety, depression, debilitation from overeating. Season 5 follows a unique case of twins Brandi and Kandi Dreier who between them weighed nearly 1,200 pounds. Brandi's and Kandi's story shows the cycle of panic, isolation, comfort eating and obesity. Can gastric bypass surgery break this vicious circle?
Obese sisters help each other, slow weight loss
Brandi Dreier, the lighter of the two weighs 587 pounds while Kandi Dreier tops the scales at 604. It's interesting that the girls share so much, even being only a few pounds off from each other. That closeness has helped and hurt them. They sleep in the same bed and rely on each other for routine tasks: bathing, toileting, dressing and mobility. What makes this different from other "My 600-lb Life" patients is that they have caregivers while the twins care for each other. They also enable each other's food addiction and obesity and derail each other's weight loss sometimes.
Brandi and Kandi live cycle of obesity
All of Dr Nowzaradan's patients on "My 600-lb Life" tell sad backstories to explain how they got overweight.
The Dreier sisters' mother was a neglectful alcoholic, and this drove her daughters to comfort eat a lot. That binge eating led to massive weight gain which led to body images issues and fear of fat-shaming when going out in public. So they don't go out except to get more to eat, typically comfort food. When people stare, the sisters go home and drown humiliation in junk food.
They stay inside, away from judging eyes, and eat even more. Is it too late for bariatric surgery and weight loss?
TLC's obese twins spiralling fast
Despite being very young, both Brandi and Kandi are fast becoming crippled by obesity. Kandi Dreier says she won't fit behind the wheel of her car much longer. She fears being homebound by the inability to drive.
That's a realistic fear for the Reality TV show patients. Some, like bedridden Penny Saeger, can't go anywhere without an EMT team. It takes 4-6 people to lift her into ambulance she needs to leave the house. The reality television show preview teases that the twins each lose weight and have bariatric surgery. Will they lose weight or, as in Penny's story, continue to make poor choices? They have some sterling examples of transformations made by other TLC stars. Lola (formerly Chay Guillory), Teretha Hollis-Neely and others. These courageous people have lost weight, gotten skin removal surgery and are able to live more healthy lives.
