TLC’s “My 600-lb Life” never fails to feature very dramatic cases of people with morbid obesity, who are in the process of overcoming their situation and having a better life. Some episodes are eyebrow-raising, not only for the patient’s extreme circumstances, but also for their personalities, backstories, and life choices.
The latter description fits season three’s participant Marla McCants, who gained notoriety for her massive 800-lb weight, and her difficult ways while dealing with her situation, how she interacted with Dr. Now, her kids, and her overall lack of willingness to resolve her condition.
In the end, Marla successfully turned her life around to walk a new and exciting healthy path, yet there’s still a lot to say about her and her journey. Keep with us to find out how Marla looks now, what she’s up to, and her side of the story about her experience on TV.
Her Journey
The first time we saw Marla McCants in “My 600-lb Life” was in the tenth episode of season three. Right from the beginning, Marla’s story impacted viewers as she was not only one of the heaviest participants to appear in the show, but had most of her mobility restricted while maintaining very unhealthy eating habits, which eventually saw her at about 800lbs, though her exact weight was never revealed.
Often remembered by the scene in which she fried chicken wings on her bed, Marla’s episode quickly became one of the most controversial. Nevertheless, Marla’s weight loss began long before her TV debut, as she had been looking for help by reaching out to TV shows and important people in the entertainment world, as read on her website.
At some point, Marla came across “My 600-lb Life” and asked for help, but was up on a difficult path. For starters, her trip from Tennessee to Texas to see Dr. Nowzaradam didn’t go nearly as well as planned, as not only did she travel without any proper medical equipment fitting for her condition, but also did it for over 12 hours. That resulted in a near-death experience for Marla, to the point that she had to be put on a breathing machine to stabilize her, after a blood clot on her leg dislodged.
Improvement & Results
Although Dr. Now usually asks patients to lose some weight before giving them the green light for weight loss surgery, Marla McCants’ case went a different way. Despite being on the verge of death after arriving in Houston, Marla’s attitude was difficult to deal with many times, with her refusing to try walking and even skipping physical therapy at times.
Marla’s behavior didn’t go unnoticed by Dr. Now, who not only did his best to make her welcome his medical team’s efforts, but also identified out her bad attitude. Nevertheless, Marla’s progress came to a stagnant point, leaving the doctor no option but to perform bariatric surgery on her without even knowing what exact weight she was at the time, given her refusal to stand up.
After undergoing surgery, Marla’s progress didn’t advance much, especially since she returned home and failed to establish a more active physical routine. That called for the intervention of Dr. Now, who went to Marla’s house and helped her stand up again after more than a year of not doing so. Much to the surprise of everyone, she finally weighed herself and turned out to have lost approximately 266lbs.
At that point, the changes in Marla’s appearance were more than evident, yet she still had a long path to walk.
Where’s She Now?
Even though Marla McCants weighed around 530lbs by the end of her “My 600-lb Life” journey, her episode ends in a positive tone, given the immense progress she had already made – without really trying.
While it’s unclear what Marla exactly did during the next couple of years, in 2019 she reappeared sporting an incredible physical change. As seen in the pics she often shares on Instagram, and other public appearances, she lost massive weight after finishing filming “My 600-lb Life”, proudly showing the world that she had it in her to turn her life around for the better, despite the often self-induced difficulties and setbacks she faced along the way.
These days Marla is a motivational speaker, author, philanthropist, and social media personality on the rise. She’s made occasional appearances on TV, such as in Tennessee’s local show “Stephen Korean Perspectives”, and the Georgia-based “Sister Circle”. These interviews are always centered on Marla’s weight loss, and how she overcame the odds with her faith and willpower.
Marla also dedicates her time to motivational speaking and philanthropism, often attending charity events and helping social causes. Last but not least, Marla has spoken about releasing a tell-all book entitled “Altered”, yet there’s little to no information available about it.
Controversy
Marla McCants’ story is controversial for many reasons. Besides having a negative attitude while being in “My 600-lb Life”, and a traumatizing backstory which includes being a victim of molestation and kidnapping, some statements made by Marla after appearing in the show leave people flabbergasted.
In 2019, Marla was interviewed by YouTuber Rickey Smiley, to whom she revealed some shocking details about her “My 600-lb Life” experience, such as the show portraying an unfair image of her.
In Marla’s words, she hadn’t been too keen on having weight loss surgery and after undergoing it through the show, she was asked to walk, despite the pain she was going through. Marla affirms that after being in the hospital for a month, it was too soon for her to walk again, resulting in the not-so-positive scenes which the audience saw.
Other aspects of Marla’s statements have caused controversy, such as her not crediting the show for her weight loss transformation, yet she’s refrained from talking ill about Dr. Now. Due to that, it isn’t rare to find negative and straight-out hate comments in content related to Marla, posted in fan communities of the show.
Nevertheless, the negative aspects of Marla’s story don’t deny that not only was her transformation amazing, but also that she became quite an unforgettable person for any fan of “My 600-lb Life”.
