The weight-loss journey of morbidly-obese Tammy Slaton of “1000-lb Sisters” has been one of the most talked-about topics among TLC network’s reality-television programs. Her struggle in conquering her own demons throughout the history of the show has led to too many wrong decisions, that seriously jeopardized not only her relationships with her loved ones, but also her goal of acquiring quality of life. She had been hospitalized many times, and in the last episode of the third season of the show, she was seen being rushed to the hospital after she stopped breathing. Fans wondered if she had fully recovered, or if she was put on life support.
Get to know Tammy Slaton
Long before Tammy Slaton became popular via the hit reality-TV show, “1000-lb Sisters,” she was just a relatively ordinary girl from Dixon, Kentucky. She was born on 27 July 1986 and was raised by her single mom, Darlene Slaton, with the help of her grandmother. It seemed that nobody ever talked about her father since her parents had long since separated, when she was still quite young. Her mother remarried in 2013, and she gained a stepfather by the name of Frank Rednour.
Bullied as a child
Tammy started her relentless eating habit as a way to (over) compensate for her unhappiness, most especially when her grandmother died when she was 11 years old. She took the loss quite badly, as she was very close to her, partly because she didn’t share a good relationship with her mother. Due to her size, she was bullied in school; her childhood memories were full of classmates who pushed her around, made fun of her, and called her nasty names. Many believed that her situation would have been better if she’d only received enough care at home. Unfortunately, she claimed that even her siblings bullied her, and out of all of them, it was only her younger sister, Amy, who genuinely cared for her.
Overweight and still gaining at 20
Due to several factors such as an unhealthy lifestyle, emotional stress, and immense intake of food, by the age of 20, Tammy’s weight was well beyond 500lbs. She was categorized as morbidly obese, as at that time, she already had a body mass index or BMI of 40. All those years, she never thought that her eating habit was bad for her, because food made her feel happy and contented in life.
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Hospitalization served as a wake-up call
Tammy never had her weight checked and never thought that eating that much would be unhealthy for her, until it was almost too late. She was hospitalized many times due to various medical problems, such as high blood pressure, thyroid abnormality, a worsening gall bladder, and a blood clot in her lungs. The last one had the doctors put her on life support for a while. At that time, she was already living with Amy, and became highly dependent on her for even the most trivial things, because she couldn’t take care of herself anymore. She lost her independence, even having a problem walking without the assistance of a walker. They both knew that she needed medical intervention, because she couldn’t lose weight by herself.
Her three seasons with “1000-lb Sisters”
It wasn’t only Tammy who needed an intervention. While it was Amy who took care of her needs, she was also overweight but not as big as Tammy at 200lbs lighter. Getting weight-loss surgery can be stressful, not only physically and mentally but financially as well. They had help in going through the journey from the TLC cable network – they were discovered through a YouTube video called “Chubby Bunny Challenge,” which went viral when Amy posted it on her official channel. Instead of casting them to join another TLC TV series about losing weight, they invited them to do the reality-TV show “1000-lb Sisters,” which was solely focused on their weight-loss journey.
The first time she traveled by car in eight years
The reality-TV show premiered in 2020, having been filmed in 2019. In the first season, the Slaton sisters consulted with the bariatric surgeon, Dr. Charles Daniel Procter Jr, through an online meeting as the doctor was based in Atlanta, Georgia. They were advised to have the weight-loss surgery as soon as possible, so they arranged for a face-to-face meeting, and at that time the first obstacle she needed to overcome was traveling by car, as for the previous eight years, she’d only left her home by ambulance; she’d never even stepped out of the house because of her mobility issues. Due to her size, Amy’s husband removed the seats from the back of the car so Tammy could comfortably sit at the back during the trip.
The doctor refused to give her the surgery
Tammy was over 600lb-heavy during the start of her weight-loss journey. Dr. Proctor told both sisters to lose about 100lbs to qualify for the bariatric surgery, which would make the operation less risky, and would indicate that the Slaton sisters were serious about losing weight. The doctor told them that the surgery was just the beginning of a long journey ahead of them. Unfortunately, the first season ended with only Amy having the procedure, because Tammy failed to lose the required pounds. She was quite stubborn about sticking to the recommended diet and was lazy in doing her workout routine. There was even a time when Amy almost gave up on her due to her bad attitude.
A new doctor and a new companion
Going back and forth to Atlanta took a toll on Tammy, and Dr. Procter said it would be best if she was monitored by someone based in Kentucky. She gained a new weight-loss expert in Dr. Eric Smith from the Georgetown Bariatrics and Advanced Surgical Services. In the second season of “1000-lb Life,” her younger sister couldn’t accompany and assist her every single day, because Amy had just given birth to a son. Their brother, Chris, volunteered to take care of Tammy, and at the same time tried to lose some weight himself. It seemed the perfect arrangement for everyone.
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Tammy’s new boyfriend caused a scandal, and derailed her progress
The fans thought that with Chris monitoring Tammy, everything would turn out well. However, people were shocked that her new boyfriend, Jerry Sykes sabotaged her weight-loss program. Chris discovered that Jerry was an enabler, because he wanted to please Tammy – she ate her 30-day meal plan in just two days. The Slatons did not approve of him, and were flabbergasted when they learned that Jerry not only enabled Tammy’s food cravings by cooking a huge amount of food for her, but that he was also still very much married. It created a scandal on social media, because Jerry’s wife, Kia Russell-Sykes, said she only discovered Jerry’s cheating after she watched their episodes of “1000-lb Sisters.” She referred to Tammy as a homewrecker, but Tammy couldn’t care less, as she said that since Kia was sick and couldn’t perform her wifely duties, she was just there to meet his needs.
Another new boyfriend, another problem
When Tammy broke up with Jerry, “1000-lb Sisters” viewers were relieved, as it was assumed that she would focus more on losing weight. However, she brought another man into her life, Philip Redmond, also known as “BBW King.” This new boyfriend was even worse than her previous one, because he had a major fetish for overweight women, most especially those who weighed 400lbs or more, so he encouraged them to eat more, including Tammy. Fans were worried about Philip’s influence on her, and left comments on her social media accounts, telling her that he would only be detrimental to her goal. Unfortunately, those comments fell on deaf ears, as Tammy was hell-bent on being in a relationship. She claimed that she found her true happiness and even caused a buzz when she posted a photo of them together with rings on their fingers. However, the relationship was short, as Philip only used her for clout on social media.
Contracted Covid-19 virus, gained more weight
Then Tammy contracted the Covid-19 virus, and was in isolation. After she survived it, she went to Dr. Smith for another consultation. Unfortunately, she’d gained more weight, which made her unfit to receive the weight-loss surgery. The only good thing at that time was that she didn’t make excuses about it, and owned up to her mistakes, and also finally admitted to her doctor that she had a severe case of food addiction. To add to her troubles at that time, some artists accused her and a business partner of scamming them. It was for this reason that she was banned from TikTok for a time in 2021.
In and out of rehab center
Tammy did well in the rehab facility, as Dr. Smith’s team helped her treat her food addiction. However, she left the rehab prematurely because she was homesick, which shocked everyone, especially since she was just 40lbs away from hitting the required weight to qualify for the bariatric surgery. Chris then suggested that they hire a nurse to help them monitor Tammy’s progress, which she vehemently rejected. Nevertheless, Tisa was hired as Tammy needed help. Initially, the nurse had a hard time but she eventually took care of what was needed to be done, and avoided Tammy’s manipulations.
Ruined the Slaton family holiday getaway
Fans agreed on social media that the third season of “1000-lb Sisters” was the most talked-about, because Tammy’s other siblings were featured in the show. The Slaton siblings went on a vacation, not only to show support for Tammy, but also to create wonderful memories for the family. The road trip started well, as she said, ‘Oh boy a family vacation, I’m excited, I can’t wait, I want to travel, I want to be free,’ but the moment they reached their destination, Tammy ruined everything by having tantrums. She claimed that she didn’t want to be there in the first place, and insisted that she wanted to go home. It was her fear of walking around the unfamiliar steps inside and outside the cabin that caused her to panic. Because they were all tired, they let her spend the night in an assisted living hotel near the area.
She fought with her siblings the following day, because she felt like an outcast. She became meaner and nastier than ever, because she wanted to hurt them for making her feel that way. Apparently, she didn’t want to join their morning photoshoot, but when the photos arrived while they were eating dinner, she felt they were rubbing it in her face. Amanda, one of her older sisters, had had enough, and proceeded to call her out for ruining the vacation, even after all that they did for her; Amanda became one of the fan favorites that season.
Tammy entered the rehab for the second time
Despite the arguments, confrontations and fights between the siblings, they all continued to support her. When Tammy decided on her own that she needed to check herself into rehab once again, they were all there to give her a send-off. Even her mom with whom she didn’t have a great relationship was there, and cried while telling her how proud she was of her. Her mom also told her that if other people believed in the saying, ‘third’s time the charm,’ she should prove them all wrong by getting things done on the second try. Before Chris drove her to the rehab facility, Amy cheered her up, and said that she would try her best to make sure that her favorite nephew stayed as little as possible, so that he would be the same baby when she came back. With Tammy’s situation, they all knew that she could be gone for at least six months to a year.
Tammy Slaton '1000-lb. Sisters' Star' Admits She's 'Even More Depressed' After Weighing In At 665-lbs #TammySlaton #1000lbSisters https://t.co/XnGvlACr3o
— uInterview (@uinterview) March 10, 2021
She was hospitalized once again and almost died
Due to the promotional teasers and posts on social media for the third season of “1000-lb Sisters,” many fans were quite worried that something bad had happened to Tammy. At the end of the final episode, they showed that a day after she entered the rehab, Chris received a call from the facility that her sister was rushed to the hospital because she’d stopped breathing; Tammy had a hard time breathing, and apparently suffered oxygen poisoning. The doctors were left with no other choice but to place a tracheotomy tube in her so that she could breathe properly. She stayed in the intensive care unit (ICU) because she was in a coma, and Chris shared that they spent four days in the hospital with her, all praying for a miracle. On the fourth day, they thought they needed to prepare for funeral arrangements but their prayers were answered because she finally woke up.
Update on Tammy’s status 2022
There haven’t been any official announcements yet for the renewal or cancelation of the reality-TV show, and so the loyal fans of “1000-lb Sisters” depend on the social media posts from the main cast for any status update. There were rumors that Amy would be absent in the fourth season of the series. From the last episode of the third season, Chris shared that he was quite proud that her sister lost about 115 pounds in the span of one month and so the fans were excited about her progress. If she lost that much in just a short time, then there was a huge possibility that she could lose more.
Photos shared on her Instagram created a buzz
Tammy’s Instagram account boasted photos of a much thinner face. She was glowing in the photos and it seemed that she was happy. There was also a photo of a smiling man with her, and it catalyzed a new round of discussions over whether Tammy was involved in a relationship once again. Many of the fans told her that it would be better if she wasn’t, because they wanted her to be focused on her weight-loss program.
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Her home was robbed while she was in rehab
Fans were worried when it was reported that her home in Kentucky was robbed. The door was kicked forcibly and furniture was taken. The good thing was that she was already staying in a rehabilitation facility in Ohio when it happened, and her sister Amy had already moved to another house. The police who investigated the burglary said that the house was unoccupied for some time, and was probably the reason why the duplex was targeted. There was no word from the Slaton family about it, and fans thought that it was because the robbery would be included in the storyline for the upcoming season of “1000-lb Sisters.”
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Conflicting rumors of Tammy’s appearance in season four
Fans couldn’t wait for the next season to be aired. There were rumors that Tammy was back to using the regular oxygen tube, which meant that the doctors removed the tracheostomy tube. It was a clear indication that she was in much better health than before. There was speculation that Tammy wouldn’t be included in the upcoming season, because she never made any reference to it in her social media posts. However, fans took note that her last post was back in March, and it could be an indication that there had been a major change in her weight. Some netizens theorized that she’d already had her bariatric surgery, and everything will be shown in season four.
Stand by, for continuation or cancelation!
