“My 600-Lb Life” is an American reality television series that takes a look at the obesity pandemic that is raging in the United States of America, raising awareness about the health risks involved, while attempting to help the most extreme cases.
Hosted by Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, mononymously known as Dr. Now, the premise of the show invites obese patients who all either weigh 600 lbs or more to attempt to make drastic changes to their lives by committing to exercise plans and strict diets, all in the hope that they might lose weight.
Once the patients have proven their dedication to achieving a healthier lifestyle, Dr. Now prepares them for a number of various bariatric surgeries that would further improve their weight loss, as well as improve their general health.
As one of the TLC network’s most popular shows, many patients have appeared in the show, some achieve success, while others at times fail to make any progress. Over the years, Dr. Now has encountered difficult patients, the most iconic probably being Henry Foot and Penny Saeger. However, among Dr. Now’s long list of patients, the two Dreir sisters, Brandi and Kandi, certainly grabbed the attention of “My 600-Lb Life”s viewers.
Since the show rarely looks in on patients following their on-camera journeys, save for a spin-off series that documents the patients after their program progress, “My 600-Lb Life: Where Are They Now”, fans and viewers are often left to only guess about the favourite stars’ current well-being. As such, we took the liberty to check up on how the Dreir sisters are doing today.
What To Expect
As we dive into this piece, we will take a look at Brandi and Kandi’s journey as they appeared on “My 600-Lb Life”, revisiting their thought-provoking journey in the care of Dr. Now, while also briefly discussing the premise and secrets, of the reality series. We will also discuss who Brandi and Kandi are, sharing as many details about them as can be found.
Finally, we will take a look at the Dreir sisters’ progress, how their surgeries went, and of course check in on how they have been faring since the cameras stopped recording. We will take a look at whether or not they’ve continued or failed to improve their lifestyles, and how these drastic changes have affected their personal lives.
Dr. Now’s Mission
Originally intended as a four-part reality documentary series, “My 600-Lb Life” was met with such a popular reception that fans asked for more episodes, and thus filming of a second season was undertaken in 2013. The series debuted on TLC in 2012, initially following the lives of four morbidly obese patients, documenting their progress at attempting a healthier life.
The general premise of each episode, which would usually be two hours in length, documents the life of one patient at a time, discussing how their weight problems became an issue, before moving on to how Dr. Now treats his patients and convinces them to change their lifestyles. The episode would also follow the patient’s progress, then move on to document their surgical procedure.
As of the second season, the show took on more patients and initially followed the featured person in question over the course of a year, but during later seasons the documentation was shortened to six months.
Normally, patients under Dr. Now’s care would first have to prove their dedication to wanting a better life before the doctor recommends them to undergo a selection of bariatric surgeries, which could range from gastric bypass surgery or a sleeve gastrectomy. Episodes also document the dramatic details of the patients’ lives and their often heart-breaking stories, while also addressing the health risks each of them faces, which always have the potential to be fatal.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNmuh_KB5XP/
While the show provides realistic drama in the form of emotional entertainment, Dr. Now made it his life mission to put an end to the obesity pandemic that is keeping the US firmly in its grip. Statistically, nearly half of the adult population is suffering from obesity, and if awareness or the problem isn’t addressed, the health risks involved could hold serious implications for the country’s future, in particular the cost of medical or remedial care.
Scandals And Secrets
While every reality television series plays host to scandals and secrets, most of the time simply hiding the fact that the show is scripted, or some kind of past criminal history of one of the stars, “My 600-Lb Life” also hides some details from the viewers.
While it’s nothing too drastic, Dr. Now’s past and continued practice might challenge the morals of many viewers, despite the fact that the show attempts to sell itself as a do-good program. No doubt, what Dr. Now is doing is exemplary, but even a saint can hide questionable behaviour.
Throughout the series, Dr. Now is known to often operate on at-risk patients, which many other doctors would find morally incorrect and consider a violation of medical ethics. While patients who appear on the show have to lose at least 50 to 100 lbs depending on their initial weight, before qualifying for surgery, it still means that the patients are often above the recommended weight to undergo bariatric surgery, normally 450 lbs, about 200kgs or less, and although most of Dr. Now’s patients are only marginally over the weight limit, operating on them can still hold serious risks.
In fact, one of Dr. Now’s patients, Lupe Samano, suffered from debilitating hip pain following her surgery, and because of it, her future progress has been affected. Lupe has difficulty rising from her bed, afraid that she might further injure her hip, though despite the setback, she continues her journey to a better lifestyle. Lupe’s husband is teaching her shadow boxing to help her exercise, and she remains grateful for Dr. Now’s help.
However, not all of Dr. Now’s patients have walked away happy, as before the filming of “My 600-Lb Life” began filming, Dr. Younan faced a malpractice lawsuit which he narrowly avoided. According to dirt dug up on the doctor by gossip publications, a patient by the name of Michelle Park filed a complaint against Dr. Now, following the removal of a surgical tube that was never taken out after he operated and was only discovered 22 months later.
From a surprise pregnancy to skin-removal surgery, Kandi and Brandi have been there to support each out throughout their weight-loss journeys. Click here to see twins' progress on the latest #My600lbLife: Where Are They Now >> https://t.co/VIznGrpJkv pic.twitter.com/1kzqs45kTO
— TLC Network (@TLC) May 24, 2018
However, Dr Now claimed his innocence in the case, stating that the removal of the tube in question would be the responsibility of the anesthesiologist, and as such, the case against him was eventually dropped. Unfortunately, the doctor’s legal troubles would not end there.
As it would turn out, there seem to be numerous things that the producers behind “My 600-Lb Life” neglect to show viewers. Some of these secrets include numerous lawsuits filed against Dr. Now since “My 600-Lb Life” earned its place in mainstream media. Among the accusations, patients complained that Dr. Now never supplied the aftercare support he promised, which may have directly resulted in the suicide of the show’s first transgender patient, Destiny Lasheea.
The Doctor also faced numerous other malpractice lawsuits, all either resulting from surgical equipment that was never removed, or a patient dying on the operating table. However, in all of the cases brought against him, Dr. Now claimed his innocence, and all the lawsuits were either dismissed or eventually dropped. Some gossipers suggested that the lawsuits might have been settled out of court, but considering Dr. Now’s ethics, people can’t help to question his innocence.
The Dreir Sisters’ Journey
Brandi and Kandi Dreier are twin sisters who both appeared on “My 600-Lb Life” during the filming of the show’s fifth season in 2017. Although twin sisters, born in Vancouver, Washington State, in 1988, what set them slightly apart was their respective weights.
Brandi and Kandi appeared on “My 600-Lb Life” when they were 29 years old, and weighed 588 and 605 lbs respectively before Dr. Now’s intervention. The Dreir twins probably had one of the most heart-breaking episodes on the show, as they shared the story of their tumultuous lives in front of “My 600-Lb Life”s cameras.
They survived a harsh childhood, overcoming neglect and severe abuse during the traumatic first several years of their life. As a result, both Brandi and Kandi only had each other for emotional support, and to cope with all the difficulties they faced, the twins turned to food as a comforting method.
Unfortunately, their eating habits and early childhood trauma wouldn’t be the only difficulties Brandi and Kandi were to face, as things took a dramatic turn for the worst when they appeared as stars on “My 600-Lb Life”. Initially, things actually went quite well with the sisters, following their first meeting with Dr. Now.
Both sisters lost 40 lbs during the first month of their exercise and strict diets, showing better results than anybody expected. Because of this, Brandi quickly qualified for bariatric surgery, but Dr. Now encountered some problems with Kandi. As the episode would go on to dramatise, Dr. Now discovered that Kandi already suffered from potential heart disease, and because of this, she would not immediately qualify for the operation.
Following a period of further improvement, Kandi eventually qualified for the surgery, and in the meantime, Brandi underwent her procedure which turned out to be a great success. Unfortunately, Kandi would face further complications, as her heart stopped while the operation was ongoing.
Initially, Brandi and the remaining Dreir family feared the worst, expecting that Kandi might not survive the operation, thankfully incorrect, but Dr. Now had to place her in a medically induced coma to assist her recovery, and in due time she made a miraculous full recovery. It seemed that Dr Now’s alleged risky decision might have almost cost him the life of a patient.
Towards the end of their episode on “My 600-Lb Life,” it was revealed that both Kandi and Brandi both lost 200 lbs, all because of their dedication to improving their lifestyles with a good exercise plan, following a strict diet, and the assistance of bariatric surgery. The twins then later appeared in the spin-off series “My 600-Lb Life: Where Are They Now”, during which they showed the world just how much they’d improved; it seemed that the Dreir twins had no intention of giving up or slowing down in their pursuit of a better, healthier life.
According to further reports on their lives since appearing in the show, both Kandi and Brandi have started a family. Brandi has since married her long term boyfriend, Femi Mark Eijs, though according to certain gossip outlets, it is possible that the couple may have since parted ways. As for Kandi, it’s been reported that she’s in a relationship, but the details of her romance remain a secret as the reality television star prefers to keep her personal life private, and doesn’t share many details.
https://www.facebook.com/TLC/photos/a.10150297574380173/10160398005770173
Despite being possibly divorced, Brandi has also since become a mother to two adorable girls. The older was born in June 2018, and the younger in October 2020. Unfortunately, Brandi has kept her daughters’ names a secret, though Kandi often refers to them as Boog, the older, and Goob, the younger, on her social media profiles.
Obesity is an epidemic that holds numerous health implications, and thanks to people like Dr. Now, America is taking one step after the other on its journey to improvement. If this kind of real-life struggle and drama interests you, then feel free to catch the latest episodes of “My 600-Lb Life” as Dr. Now continues his mission to cure the American population of obesity.
