"My 600-lb Life" Season 5 teases updates on bariatric patients from other past series. The reality TV show looks at how transgender Chay Guillory (now Lola), Teretha Hollis-Neely, and twins Brandi and Kandi Dreier (who weighed over a half-ton between them) are doing. But one of the most-asked about is Penny Saeger from Season 2. Penny's story was one of the show's rare weight loss fails. Folks want to know how this delusional (Dr. Now's word), bedridden mom, her cowed husband, and neglected son are doing. From Penny's mouth, here's an update.
Did Penny Saeger lose weight?
That's one of the most common search terms related to "My 600-lb Life." Now you might expect that after gastric bypass surgery there's no way Penny couldn't lose weight. But sadly, that's just what happened, or didn't in this case. After having weight loss surgery (which a lot of people fundraised to help her get), Penny decided to do it "her way." And that meant ignoring the orders of the show's bariatric surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan. She lost 40 pounds to get the surgery, bringing her to 530 pounds. Afterward, she only dropped down to 495 pounds.
500-lb Penny Saeger does it her way
"Easy does it" may be a good mantra for recovering addicts, but for morbidly obese people it can be deadly.
Penny didn't like the 1,200 calorie diet that the reality television doctors put her on. She refused to make simple diet changes after weight loss surgery, like switching to egg whites from whole eggs. And that exercise the good doctor ordered? Penny's doing her own thing there, too (not walking except to her wheelchair, and living life from her bed).
She won't set goals to end obesity (that's not her style), and has moved away from her "My 600-lb Life" doctors' care. She requires a hospital rescue team to go anywhere, and breathes only with an oxygen machine. But her husband and son will verify that she's making progress and they're proud of her, Penny assures everyone, even though "nothing has changed," she admits.
Penny Saeger delusional or disordered?
A lot of folks, including Dr. Nowzaradan have called Penny Saegen delusional. As one commenter put it, she "isn't making progress and no one is proud of her." That's not hate talk. "My 600-lb Life" viewers have seen how Penny's husband enables her, feeding, bathing, and toileting the obese woman, even after weight loss surgery. They've seen how she balks and won't help herself. They hear the same old denial, excuse-making, and self-pity. They don't see positive changes like calorie counting and portion control. One commenter said Penny isn't delusional but has a personality disorder. Is there a difference? Probably, but it's a moot point to the manipulated husband and child she's unavailable to.
If there's one take away from Penny's story, it's that if you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten. Sometimes, doing your own thing can be the wrong thing, especially if it goes against the advice of your doctor.
