Watch Nicole's story on "My 600-lb Life" and try not to sob like a baby. The 700-lb woman is only 23 and the food addict is too big for a scooter and losing her kids to her angry drug addict parents. Nicole clings to and repels her helpful (enabling?) boyfriend. But there are two (perhaps ironic) weight-loss solutions for Nicole and they involve repurposing bad habits. After bariatric surgery, could Nicole's love of food and her bitter anger get her to health?
700-lb woman saved by, killed by food
Nicole cannot bathe herself and so her family must set up a makeshift shower in the yard.
Her boyfriend must wash her privates and finds that "gross." She loves food shopping but can't fit in the scooter due to obesity. How did Nicole get so big at such a young age? Food became her savior, friend and comfort against her parents' drug-fueled rages. But what saved is now killing her as the reality television show explores. The young woman cannot care for her little children and must rely on the angry cocaine-addicted parents who ruined her life. And "My 600-lb Life" viewers watch as the child abuse continues.
Will vicious cycle of addiction kill obese woman before 24th birthday?
You can hear the panic in Nicole's voice as she begs her mom for help. She gets angry with her boyfriend Charlie because he is the sanest and most reliable of her caregivers.
Mom resents having to help her daughter and punishes her and the kids as she did Nicole. But they see Grandma as mom because she (albeit grudgingly) cares for them. And does Grandma (who is herself morbidly obese) rub it in with name-calling and body-shaming. As the family heads to Houston to hopefully get Nicole gastric bypass surgery, she screams at everyone and her terror and anxiety is palpable.
But Nicole also knows Dr. Nowzaradan is her only hope.
Anger could save Nicole?
The "My 600-lb Life" patient is one big trainwreck, that's obvious. But it's possible that she could use her addictions to lose weight. Nicole could channel the anger she exhibits toward Charlie toward her real enemy, obesity. She could use the energy in the bariatric surgery healing process.
The Reality TV patient could use her strong will to detach from drug addict parents who are hurting rather than helping. Both are supposedly in recovery but Grandma at least exhibits "dry addict" behaviors and is clearly still in the throes of addiction.
Food addiction finds weight-loss?
Nicole loves cooking and food shopping. She is fussy about how food is prepared and knows good from bad. As a young girl, she saw how the high-fat, high-starch shelter food the family ate was addictive and not healthy. She also craves junk food but it would be easy for "My 600-lb Life" nutritionists to show her that fast food isn't prepared well and that she could do better. Nicole could use her culinary skills to prepare healthy, low-fat, low-calorie meals that taste even better than junk food! Nicole seems less delusional than TLC co-stars James K. and Steven Assanti. Can Nicole start listening to her own good judgement, lose weight, and find new life?