Studies from Proverbs
There’s a show on TV that I come across every once in a while when I’m at my fitness club. The bike I ride has a TV you can watch while you peddle. This show airs when I work out. It’s called “My 600 lb. life”. It follows the lives of people who weigh 600 pounds or more. It describes itself like this. “Telling powerful stories, it follows medical journeys of people as they attempt to save their own lives. The featured individuals – each weighing more than 600 pounds – confront lifelong emotional and physical struggles as they make the courageous decisions to undergo high risk surgeries and drastically change their appearance. They hope to reclaim their independence, mend relationships with friends and family and renew feelings of self-worth.”
I’ve watched a few segments of this show. It does a good job of NOT making fun of the people. Instead it documents the real struggles they face. Many have lost their independence. They need others to do shopping for them. They depend on others to drive them around. They are often confined to their own houses or apartments or even bedroom as they try to face this challenge in their lives.
The show has been on air for 7 years. You can look back over its history, to see the names of people featured and where they are today. All weighed around 600 pounds when they first appeared on the show. But some weighed more. One young man named Sean Milliken weighed 919 pounds at age 26. He lost nearly 400 pounds to get to 548 but sadly died at age 29. But there’s also a Melissa Morris who at 31 weighed 653 pounds but today weighs 240.
