When you sit down to watch a marathon of My 600-lb Life, it’s easy to get swept up in the dramatic music and the intense weigh-ins. But there is a darker, much heavier side to the TLC reality show that often leaves fans searching for answers. People want to know the stakes. Specifically, they're asking, has anyone from my 600 lb life died after seeking help from Dr. Nowzaradan?
The short answer is yes. Several of them.
This isn’t just a TV show about weight loss; it’s a high-stakes medical intervention for people living on the very edge of human biology. We aren't talking about losing twenty pounds for a wedding. We’re talking about patients who often arrive at the Houston clinic with their bodies literally failing under the weight of 600, 700, or even 900 pounds. Sadly, for some, the damage to their hearts and lungs was already too far gone by the time the cameras started rolling.
The Names We Won't Forget
It’s actually quite heartbreaking when you look at the list. We’ve seen over a dozen participants pass away since the show premiered back in 2012. Some deaths happened during filming, while others occurred years later, sometimes after the person had actually successfully lost hundreds of pounds.
Take Henry Foots from Season 1. He was such a success story initially. He lost more than 300 pounds and was working toward skin removal surgery. Then, out of nowhere, he passed away in 2013. It was a massive shock to the fanbase because he represented the hope that the program actually worked.
Then there was Robert Buchel. His story is arguably one of the most tragic episodes in the history of the series. Robert was incredibly driven but suffered from a severe addiction to pain medication. He actually passed away from a heart attack while filming his episode in 2017. Watching his fiancée struggle with that loss on screen was one of the rawest moments ever televised. It really drove home the point that this show deals with life and death, not just ratings.
Why Do These Tragedies Keep Happening?
You have to understand the physiological toll. When a person reaches 600 pounds, their heart is working overtime every single second of the day. Dr. Younan Nowzaradan—affectionately known as Dr. Now—constantly warns his patients that they are "ticking time bombs."
👉 See also: Kate Moss Family Guy: What Most People Get Wrong About That Cutaway
The risks don't just vanish the moment they lose weight, either.
- Heart Failure: Even after losing weight, the heart might have sustained permanent damage from years of strain.
- Pulmonary Embolisms: Blood clots are a massive risk for people with limited mobility.
- Mental Health Struggles: Addiction doesn't just go away. Sometimes, when the food is taken away, the underlying trauma or a secondary addiction to painkillers takes over.
- Infections: Skin infections and complications from gastric bypass surgery are always a lingering threat.
Sean Milliken is another name that comes up often. He struggled immensely with his relationship with his mother and his own emotional health. After his mother passed away, Sean seemed to lose his anchor. He died in 2019 at only 29 years old due to complications from an infection that led to septic shock. It was a stark reminder that physical weight is only half the battle.
The Controversy and the Legal Battles
Because of the high number of deaths, the show has faced some serious heat. Families of several deceased participants, including those of LB Bonner and James "LB" Bonner, filed lawsuits against Megalomedia, the production company behind the show.
They claimed the show failed to provide adequate mental health services and put the participants under extreme stress for the sake of drama. LB Bonner’s death was particularly devastating because he was a fan favorite who had lost a significant amount of weight but ultimately took his own life in 2018. It opened up a massive conversation about whether the show does enough to support the psychological wellbeing of the people it features.
Honestly, the legal side of things is messy. The production company has denied these claims, but the sheer volume of lawsuits from different families suggests there’s a real tension between "good TV" and "good medicine."
Does the Program Actually Save Lives?
It’s easy to focus on the deaths because they are so high-profile. But you can't ignore the hundreds of people who are still alive today specifically because of Dr. Now's intervention.
✨ Don't miss: Blink-182 Mark Hoppus: What Most People Get Wrong About His 2026 Comeback
Think about Amber Rachdi or Chuck Turner. These are people who were essentially housebound and waiting to die. Now, they are living full, active lives. The show highlights a very specific subset of the population that most of the medical establishment has given up on. Most doctors won't even touch a patient over 500 pounds because the surgical risk is too high. Dr. Nowzaradan takes the cases no one else wants.
So, when we ask has anyone from my 600 lb life died, we also have to ask how many would have died much sooner without the show? It’s a bit of a double-edged sword.
A List of Those We've Lost
To be factually accurate, here is a breakdown of several notable participants who have passed away:
- Kelly Mason (Season 7): She died in her sleep from heart failure during filming. She was so close to reaching her goals.
- James King (Season 5): He struggled with multiple health issues and passed away in 2020.
- Coliesa McMillian (Season 8): She suffered complications following weight loss surgery and died in 2020.
- Gina Krasley (Season 8): She passed away at home in 2021, just a year after her episode aired.
- Destinee LaShaee (Season 7): The show's first transgender participant, who died in 2022.
Every time a "Where Are They Now?" update comes out, the community holds its breath. There’s a genuine bond between the viewers and these individuals because we see them at their most vulnerable.
The Complexity of Success
Success in this world isn't a straight line. Sometimes a patient loses 400 pounds and then their body just gives out. Other times, they lose the weight but can't handle the "real world" without their coping mechanism of food.
The medical reality is that super-morbid obesity changes the body’s chemistry. It changes the way the heart pumps and how the lungs expand. Even with the best surgeon in Houston, the damage can be irreversible. Dr. Now is often blunt—sometimes harshly so—because he knows he is literally racing against a clock that is running out of batteries.
🔗 Read more: Why Grand Funk’s Bad Time is Secretly the Best Pop Song of the 1970s
Understanding the Risks of Rapid Weight Loss
There’s also the physical strain of the weight loss itself. Losing 50 pounds in a month, which is what Dr. Now often demands, is incredibly hard on the liver and the gallbladder. The "controlled starvation" diet of 1200 calories, high protein, and low carb is a shock to a system that is used to consuming 10,000 calories a day.
While this is necessary to make surgery safe, it’s a tightrope walk.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Observers
If you’re a fan of the show or someone looking into bariatric options, here are a few things to keep in mind regarding the risks and the reality of these journeys:
- Support Systems Matter: The participants who succeed almost always have a strong, non-enabling support system. Loneliness and toxic family dynamics are often linked to the more tragic outcomes.
- Mental Health is Non-Negotiable: Weight loss surgery is a tool, not a cure. Without addressing the "why" behind the eating, the "how" doesn't matter much in the long run.
- Early Intervention is Key: Most of the deaths on the show involve patients who waited until they were in total organ failure before seeking help.
- Advocate for Better Care: If you or a loved one are struggling, don't wait for a TV show. Seek out bariatric specialists who prioritize psychological counseling alongside surgical intervention.
The legacy of those who have passed away on My 600-lb Life serves as a sobering reminder of the obesity epidemic's severity. They weren't just characters on a screen; they were people trying to reclaim their lives. Their stories, even the ones that ended in tragedy, provide vital data and awareness that might save someone else down the road.
To truly honor those who lost their lives after appearing on the show, viewers should look past the "shock factor" of the scale and see the human struggle beneath. It's a journey fraught with peril, but for many, it's the only path they have left. By understanding the risks and the reality of why these deaths happen, we can have a more compassionate and informed conversation about health, addiction, and the limits of modern medicine.
Keep a close eye on the official TLC updates and verified social media accounts of former participants for the most accurate information on their health journeys. Relying on secondary gossip sites can often lead to misinformation about who is still with us and who has moved on.