Here's Where My 600-Lb Life Fans Disagree With Dr. Now
In 2012, Dr. Younan Nowzaradan rose to fame as the sole bariatric surgeon on TLC's "My 600-lb Life." Patients, some of whom weigh over 900 pounds, travel hundreds of miles to Dr. Now's practice in Houston, Texas, to undergo the life-saving procedure. Like any reality TV personality, Dr. Now has gotten his share of criticism over the years. A big point of contention is his bedside manner or lack thereof. Whereas TLC surgeon Dr. Eric Smith shows empathy to a struggling Tammy Slaton on "1000-lb Sisters," Dr. Now can occasionally come off as cold and curt to his patients.
Notably, a number of fan fans have slammed Dr. Now's book "The Scale Does Not Lie, People Do," published in January 2019. According to Dr. Now (via Instagram), the book includes an explanation of how and why people gain and lose weight, America's obesity epidemic, and, of course, his own personal diet plan, a routine that he stresses in each episode of "My 600-lb Life."
Dr. Now's diet plan, which every patient must strictly follow in order to qualify for bariatric surgery, has recently come under fire. Let's take a look at why some fans think Dr. Now needs to revamp his method.
What is Dr. Now's diet plan?
For many individuals who appear on "My 600-lb Life," the trip to Houston takes multiple days and inflicts a massive physical/emotional toll. As a result, they often feel frustrated when they learn that surgery won't be happening for at least another month or two.
All patients are tasked with following Dr. Now's diet plan and losing a certain amount of weight over the course of four weeks. In a Cameo video, Dr. Now went into detail about what his plan actually entails. "They basically eat three times a day, no snacking. There's no such thing as a healthy snack," he stressed. "The food that they eat, I tell them that it should be around 400 calories, so this is only protein and vegetables."
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner can each total 400 calories. Dr. Now recommends a salad with 4 to 6 ounces of meat for one of these meals. Sticking to 1,200 calories daily is a challenge for the majority of patients, who are used to large portions of their favorite foods. Though some cheat on the plan and try to blame their excess pounds on water weight and other factors, Dr. Now never buys it. He believes his diet plan is foolproof when followed correctly.
"If you follow that, everybody can lose weight," he said. "These people, they should be able to lose 50 pounds in a month."
Fans have varying opinions about Dr. Now's diet plan
On Reddit, some "My 600-lb Life" viewers expressed their dislike of Dr. Now's diet plan. U/vespa2021 shared the opinion that "a diet suggests temporary" and that patients shouldn't be prevented from eating their favorite foods. This user said, "The entire solution is portion control. These people have no clue that a portion is!" U/Ok-Wedding-4654 agreed that the word "diet" can be associated with a trendy weight-loss plan that yields short-term results. "That's not where these people are at though," this user countered. "They're not doing this as a fad, but instead to save their lives."
U/thebestbrian, a supporter of Dr. Now's plan, brought up the fact that many of his patients have a severe food addiction. Just as a newly-sober alcoholic can't have just one drink, a food addict can't have only one slice of pizza at the beginning of their wellness journey. This user said, "The way their brain chemistry works isn't the same as yours or mine. They would probably go crazy if they could only have 'one donut.'"
While there are varying opinions about Dr. Now's diet plan, it has evidently worked for a number of patients, including Season 6's Sarah Neeley, who lost 260 pounds on the show, and Season 3's Amber Rachdi, who lost 257 pounds and is now a social media influencer.