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Casey King Reveals His Biggest Challenges on His Weight Loss Journey

Published

2 weeks ago

April 18, 2024

Reality TV stars usually shock the viewer through dramatic, often negative actions. While that frequently happens with weight loss shows such as “The Biggest Loser,” “My 600-lb Life,” and “1000-lb Sisters,” when patients find excuses, argue or berate their loved ones or the doctor, or ignore medical advice, sometimes the shock is closer to confusion. Casey King weighed nearly 850lbs or 385kgs before joining the “Family By The Ton” TV show in 2018 as a cousin to the main stars, the six Anderson sisters. After a bariatric operation, he shed over two-thirds of his weight, and his BMI (Body Mass Index) would have been in the average range if it weren’t for the excess skin. Nonetheless, his journey was difficult, and he had several obstacles to success.

Image source

Contents

1 Casey King lost a staggering amount of weight
2 He was a lazy, food-addicted gamer
3 Casey’s daily hygiene required work
4 Casey returned to leading an active life
5 His dad was an enabler
6 He had to accept his mother’s help
7 Casey had to ignore bad examples
8 He never dated
9 Casey needed a skin removal operation
10 Casey King should reach his target weight

Casey King lost a staggering amount of weight

Casey “Case” King is a Georgia native who was morbidly obese and weighed 711lb or 322,5kg when he was cast in the show, but his weight peaked at around the number above. Initially, he was reluctant to change anything, stating that he would ‘just eat until I’m dead’, and that he doesn’t plan to lead an active life. Casey cited a history of obesity as early as his elementary school days, and noted that he had to stay naked most of the time to endure the Georgia heat. Luckily, by 2023, he’d shed over 600lbs or 272kgs, and become the show’s most famous success story. He is now active on social media, and talks about his incredible weight loss and improved life. He also plans to undergo a skin removal operation, and wants to stay under 225lbs, 102kgs.

He was a lazy, food-addicted gamer

Casey’s most significant problem came from his food addiction and easy access to food. He admitted to waking up around noon, immediately thinking about what he would eat while sitting in bed, and only getting up to go to the bathroom or grab something at home. While sitting there throughout the day, he ordered food, ate unhealthy food he bought, or had his father bring him meals. Casey would play video games and watch TV before going back to bed, and because he was jobless, the next day would look similar.

Casey also stated that having online friends who couldn’t see his appearance helped him ignore the alarming weight gain. However, contrary to what many addicts do, he never gave up on playing video games during his journey. Instead, he found a balance that didn’t hurt his work or physical activity. Casey stated, ‘Video games are where I escaped. I’m accepted in those virtual reality worlds. No one sees me, and I can be the Casey I want to be, without being judged by my weight.’

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSZ-RilHHme/

Casey’s daily hygiene required work

However, early in the show, as his weight increased, his daily hygiene suffered. His folds and flaps gave him the most trouble, since he had to ‘roll over and wallow, almost like a pig,’ only to reach his legs. Casey also could not clean himself after defecation, because he couldn’t get to all the spots near his back and below him. Moreover, the hot weather in Georgia and restrictive, ill-fitting clothes became a considerable problem; hence, he spent nearly all his time naked. Bathing was another issue; over time, he could no longer fit into a regular-sized bath or shower, and even got stuck in the shower several times, once for nine hours. To solve the problem, his father built him a bathtub from a trough, and put it on his back deck.

Casey returned to leading an active life

Casey admitted that he was always ‘a big kid’ who weighed about 300lbs or 136kgs by the time he left high school, but that he remained active in the past and cited that he loved running, an activity that would be the staple of his weight loss. However, the frequency of his physical activities decreased as he left high school and began working in restaurants.

Over time, he gained weight, crossing the 500lbs or 227kgs mark, and eventually quit his job. Expectedly, eating the same amount of food or more while physically inactive made his weight rise uncontrollably.

To lose enough weight to qualify for the bariatric operation, Casey had to learn to put physical activity into everything that he did, and challenge himself in things that he already liked, such as running or hiking. He started jogging as much as his joins allowed, and has done several 5K races since the early 2020s. He also started doing aqua aerobics, while staying over at his mother’s house.

Furthermore, he realized that having a goal, getting out of the house, and meeting people were crucial components of a happy life. Thus, he found a job at Home Depot in 2020, where he’s worked since.

His dad was an enabler

The show demonstrated that Casey wasn’t a functional adult. However, it also showed that he would have no choice but to become one if his father was absent, because he moved in with him after quitting his job and falling in love with food. His dad’s love damaged him more than it helped; he wanted to make Casey happy, and they both enjoyed easy access to food. Thus, they would order Japanese hibachi and sushi by the barrel, before Casey moved on to even larger portions, and began indulging in unhealthy meals.

That wasn’t a problem when he was at his heaviest, however, on a diet plan during the show, the convenience of such food was alluring, compared to preparing healthier variants he now eats

He had to accept his mother’s help

Dr. Charles Procter Jr., the show’s surgeon, proposed a vertical sleeve gastrectomy operation, a form of a gastric sleeve bypass, to help Casey curb his appetite. However, although he predicted a loss of between 70 and 100lbs, 32 to 45kgs in several months to a year, Casey had to work hard to qualify.

That’s where his mother, Casey King, whom he jokingly started calling ‘a drill sergeant,’ came into the picture. She was indirectly responsible for his weight gain, since she kicked him out of her house when he showed no desire to get a job and contribute to the household in other ways. Unlike his father, she was strict about his diet, and kept him accountable when he thought of eating cheat meals. Consequently, Casey dropped to under 700lbs or 315kgs with solid willpower and his mother’s rigorous supervision.

After Dr. Charles reduced the size of his stomach from ‘the size of a basketball to the size of a racquetball’ in 2019, Casey weighed 630lbs or 285kgs. Commenting on the situation, Casey said, ‘Being at my mom’s place is kinda like being at fat camp. I’ll do whatever she says while I’m here, but I feel like I can’t keep this up after I leave.’

Nevertheless, although he still thinks dieting sucks, he focused on simplicity, and stated that finding healthy food choices became more manageable at home. For instance, Casey focuses on eating protein-heavy foods not fried or topped with high-sugar. He also avoids sugary drinks, and consistently drinks water.

Casey had to ignore bad examples

Most people forget that Casey joined the TV show with his morbidly obese cousins, Amy, Ed and Amanda – they motivated each other, but Casey was by far the heaviest. Therefore, his cousins, who weighed between 400 and 450lbs or 180 and 204kgs, could afford to break their diet and exercise plans because their goal weight was closer, and they weren’t homebound and unable to care for their basic needs. Moreover, though jokingly, his mother often offered Casey snacks to see if his resolve would falter when he saw others eating, talking about, or showing the things he craved.

He never dated

One of the most significant consequences of his shut-in lifestyle and excessive weight was his dating life. Casey admits he never got close to people more than on a friendship level.

With that in mind, he lost his virginity at 35 or 36, i.e., in 2019 or 2020, and had only begun dating in mid-2021. While Casey was single in the first quartal of 2023, he revealed that he had six sexual partners, and had to learn everything about girls in his late 30s. He concludes that girls are pretty, smell good, and are fun to kiss and that while challenging to achieve, dating and physical intimacy were things that he was starved for; hence he didn’t know that he wanted them.

While he found this new world exciting, and sex vulnerable and impactful, he wasn’t fully happy with his appearance. Therefore, Casey was uncomfortable undressing in the bedroom, citing that his feeling and desire were there with women, but that his mind wasn’t entirely in it, but believed that removing excess skin would solve the problem.

Casey needed a skin removal operation

On his 37th birthday in November 2021, Casey announced that he was approaching his goal weight, and was currently at 255lbs or 115kgs, 5lbs or 2,5kgs away from the weisght he never imagined was possible. By early May 2022, he was at 247lbs or 112kg; on Valentine’s Day in 2023, he saw 242lbs or 110kgs on the scale, and a TMZ interview in March revealed his weight had dropped to 232lbs or 105kgs.

However, despite his realization that he was the healthiest he’d been since high school, and that he never loved himself more, one problem remained. Although Casey’s weight was still far from ideal for his height, the excess skin made up a significant portion.

That’s where Casey faced three challenges, which he shared during a January 2022 interview with Ethan Klein, the YouTuber behind the channel h3h3Productions. First, waiting until he saves enough money with his Home Depot job would slow his progress, but he was willing to wait. Second, he needed to find a doctor he trusted and could afford. Third, accepting help, especially financially, didn’t work in his favor in the case of his father.

However, he unexpectedly had to face all those challenges at once. Ethan promised to start a fundraiser via GoFundMe, and over 950 viewers and Casey’s fans shattered the initial goal of $15,000, donating over $19,500 by early April 2023. Therefore, he had to accept the ‘outpouring of support from these legitimate strangers and the flood of compliments on his looks,’ both new to him, before he started calling plastic surgeons’ clinics to schedule an operation.

Feels pretty damn good

New lowest weight

From 845 lbs to 266 lbs pic.twitter.com/Tzf5evWCD4

— Casey King (@CaseyKing_FBTT) September 23, 2021

Casey King should reach his target weight

Casey has demonstrated an iron will to turn his life around, and at this point had lost 615lbs or 280kgs from when he was the heaviest, and 480lbs or 220kgs since he stepped on the scale at the beginning of the show.

Moreover, in his TMZ interview in March 2023, he revealed that $18,000 from the GoFundMe fundraiser was in his bank account, that he was meeting doctors, and plans to go under the knife by the end of 2023. With a smaller stomach, a solid diet plan, lots of physical activities, and a happy and active social and professional life, Casey will undoubtedly reach his goal weight and likely get closer to 210lbs or 95kgs once the extra skin is gone.

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Why “Sister Wives”’ Children Don’t Want To Follow Their Parents’ Polygamous Lifestyle

Published

2 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Daniel Wanburg

“Sister Wives” is an American reality television series that airs on TLC, and documents the lives of the Brown family who formerly practised a polygamous lifestyle. The family includes the patriarch, Kody Brown, his only remaining wife Robyn, his ex-wives, Meri, Janelle and Christene, and their eighteen children.

As of the latest season of “Sister Wives”, Meri, Janelle and Christine decided to separate from Kody, and chose to move on with their lives, both spiritually and romantically. Of course, this placed the future of the show in jeopardy, but thankfully, for those who find “Sister Wives” entertaining, the show seems to continue filming, despite the relationship being monogamous, now focused on how Kody and his wives get along as co-parents, when separated.

Naturally, when considering such a big and expansive family, one might wonder what the opinions of the children are regarding a polygamous lifestyle, and whether or not they too would want to have the lives their parents lived.

With so many viewers and fans expressing an interest in the Brown children, as many as there seem to be, we took it upon ourselves to investigate their views on polygamy.

Contents

1 What To Expect
2 Gwendlyn
3 Logan
4 Aspyn
5 Leon
6 Maddie
7 Mykelti
8 Paedon
9 Robert
10 The Remaining Children
11 Conclusion

What To Expect

As we dive into this controversial subject, we will introduce each of the Brown children, starting with the oldest, and share their views on plural marriages and polygamous lifestyles.

Gwendlyn

Gwendlyn is perhaps the most famous of all the Brown children, as she sought a life in front of the camera even beyond the reality of “Sister Wives”, as she hosts her own YouTube channel, and keeps up with most other forms of social media. On her channel. Gwendlyn often posts reaction videos of herself watching episodes of “Sister Wives”, sharing her personal and insightful opinion with her viewers.

Gwendlyn’s opinions tend to be brutally honest, and she often shares derogative commentary about the show, and in the process, sometimes gives away truths about the series which viewers wouldn’t otherwise know.

Some of her revelations include calling Meri out on her abusive behaviour, and stating that she dislikes Robyn as a person, among many other views that some might consider would negatively impact the “Sister Wives” series.

Gwendlyn is one of six children Kody conceived with Christene, who also shares her negative opinion about her dad, often asking what it is that compels him to feel the need to have this many wives. As can be clearly seen through her opinions, Gwendlyn has no interest in a plural marriage, or a polygamous lifestyle.

Logan

Logan is the eldest child in the family, born in May 1994, but he no longer appears in the show. According to his last interview with People Magazine, Logan became engaged to his long-term girlfriend, Michelle Petty, in 2017, and the latest reports regarding the young couple say that they tied the knot in a private ceremony in front of friends and family in 2022, and by all accounts, they seem to have no interest in living a polygamous life.

In fact, Logan has always been adamant against plural marriages, and nowadays he’s no longer a member of the Mormon church or religion to which his father belongs. According to Logan, he’s perfectly happy with only one soul mate.

Aspyn

Aspyn is the eldest daughter conceived by Kody and Christene, born in March 1995. According to the most recent reports regarding her, she tied the knot with her long-term boyfriend, Mitch Thompson, in June 2018, and it doesn’t seem that the couple has any intention of welcoming a sister wife to their union.

As Aspyn previously stated on the show, she has never had an interest in plural marriages, but has expressed her opinion that the children’s life choices might be a disappointment to their father. Regardless, she felt sorry that she has no interest in polygamy, and stated that it might just not be what she wants from life.

Leon

Born in July 1995, Leon is the only child conceived between Meri and Kody – she was unable to conceive again – and earned quite some recognition among viewers in 2021, when ‘they’ became the first person in the series to come out as transgender. According to most reports regarding Leon’s life, they seem to be happily engaged to their long-term partner, Audrey Kriss, and it seems as though they have no interest in polygamy either.

As Leon told TLC during a tell-all interview, they’ve taken a step back and considered where their life is going, what they want from their life, and that the current choices they made seem to be right for them.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CqG4v3arO4E/

Maddie

Maddison, born in November 1995 and mononymously known as Maddie, was the first of the Brown children to marry, to Caleb Brush in June 2016, and according to whom, he has no interest in plural marriages. Maddie was also posed this same question by a fan, and she too has no interest in a polygamous lifestyle, though will continue to support her parents’ life choices, as they support her choice to remain exclusive with her husband.

Mykelti

Mykelti, another one of Christene and Kody’s six children, born in June 1996, married Tony Padron in December 2016. According to both partners, they don’t have any interest in living a polygamous lifestyle, and according to Mykelti, she simply believes that she would never be able to fit into that kind of relationship.

The couple seems to be happy and exclusive, and is raising one of the Brown grandchildren; according to all reports regarding the pair, they won’t be engaging in plural marriage.

Paedon

Paedon, one of Kody and Christene’s sons, born in August 1998, revealed during a Q&A session on his Instagram hosted in 2021, that he long ago chose not to have a polygamous marriage, and although he hasn’t married yet, he looks forward to only having one wife. When asked why he made that choice, he stated that it was not something in particular, but rather a lot of smaller things that motivated him to say ‘no’ to polygamy.

However, Paedon nonetheless stated that he’s grateful for polygamy, since his family once practised plural marriages, and because of it he has six brothers who are all his best friends. At least, Paedon can see the silver lining to the dark cloud that many might believe his family could be in.

Robert

Robert, born in April 1998, took a complete step back from his family, their lifestyle, the show, and their faith. According to the most recent reports regarding his choice of lifestyle, he’s since joined a church that completely opposes polygamy.

According to Robert, only one soul mate would be enough for him, and although he hasn’t married yet, he seems set in his belief that one wife will do.

The Remaining Children

While most of the remaining Brown children are all too young to decide whether or not they would engage in a polygamous lifestyle, Kody has expressed openly on the show that it seems likely that none of his children seem likely to follow his lifestyle choices.

In the case of the youngest, however, only time can tell, and perhaps one among them will continue the Brown tradition – so far, it seems very unlikely.

Conclusion

Polygamy is not a lifestyle that many might support, and in most religions and social settings, it might even be considered taboo, which as Kody would state, was his motivation for sharing his lifestyle and views with the public in the form of a reality television series, all in the hope that people might change their opinion about polygamous lifestyles and plural marriages.

However, if anything, the series has discouraged people from forming plural marriages, and it seems Kody’s choices even had a negative effect on his children. As is evident by their opinions, none of the Brown children seem to be interested in a polygamous lifestyle, but they continue to support their family in all the choices they make.

If “Sister Wives” is your kind of entertainment, then feel free to catch up on any of the latest episodes, and watch as the Brown family drama continues to unfold.

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What happened to Chapel after “Return to Amish?” What is she doing now?

Published

9 hours ago

May 1, 2024

Daniel Wanburg

Chapel Peace Schmucker gained worldwide popularity upon being featured on television as the wife of Andrew Schmucker, thanks to whom she married into the Amish community. What made her a rather peculiar addition to the mix was the fact that Chapel herself was, at least up until the point of marriage, a regular modern woman of the 21^st century. This was later made all the more abundantly clear by the infamy that followed her into the spotlight.

She and Andrew initially reached popularity by appearing in “Breaking Amish” in 2013, a year after it launched on TLC. It follows the lives of young adults from Amish and Mennonite communities who decided to leave their strict religious upbringing behind, and experience life in New York City. The show quickly became a hit among viewers, with its unique premise and compelling cast members.

Image source

At first it included four Amish individuals – Abe, Kate, Rebecca and Jeremiah – and one Mennonite – Sabrina. The series focused on the group’s experiences as they navigated life in the big city, away from their families and the strict religious rules they grew up with. They had to adapt to new cultural norms, such as dating, drinking, and working in non-farming industries.

One of the most captivating aspects of “Breaking Amish” was the exploration of the tension between the characters’ desire for freedom and the potential consequences of leaving their communities. The decision to do so was never an easy one, as it often led to ostracism from one’s family and long-time friends. The show addressed this issue and the challenges that come with leaving a closed religious community in great detail.

The first season ended with the cast members making decisions about whether to return home or stay in the city. Later down the line, some of the cast members reintegrated into their communities and continued to be featured on the screen, but in an altogether different TV series – the spin-off that outperformed its parent entitled “Return to Amish.” It started just as “Breaking Amish” came to a closeat the end of its third season in 2014, with seven of its own installments to date.

As is the case with any reality TV show, “Breaking Amish” too had its monstrous share of awkward conversations and intense feelings. While garnering a greater audience, this also caused some viewers to criticize the show for exploiting the cast members, and perpetuating stereotypes about Amish and Mennonite communities. Others questioned the authenticity of most of the dramatic events, with rumors that some cast members had already left their communities before filming began.

Regardless of the potential discrepancies, it’s undeniable that “Return to Amish” remains a significant cultural touchstone and a reminder of the ongoing tension between individual freedom and religious community values. At its time, it was a groundbreaking TV project that captivated many around the world, exploring the rarely televised phenomenon of building individuality on the foundations of a hive-mind childhood.

Contents

1 Riding an unsteady wave
2 Crumbling into oblivion
3 Faking a serious illness
4 Life after a media death

Riding an unsteady wave

As “Breaking Amish” died down and it stars crossed over into the spin-off, Chapel and Andrew actually stayed away from the spotlight throughout the first season, and there are many theories as to why. Some fans are of the opinion that she was simply struggling with drug-related issues, which later became public knowledge.

However, there isn’t enough evidence to fully support this claim, as many believe that she was actually clean around 2014, which would indicate that something else kept her and Andrew from appearing in front of the camera. Others theorize that they simply needed a break from the entertainment industry, and time to themselves, which will remain an option until the couple clear up the suspicions.

Regardless, they did join the second season of “Return to Amish,” and the issues also started right away. It was revealed throughout the season that Andrew had to serve jail time due to violating his probation by failing a drug test. While definitely an uncomfortable situation for the Schmuckers, it surely made for interesting television, and TLC made sure to put it on full display for the audiences.

Chapel can be seen calling Andrew and inquiring about his whereabouts, in a slow, confused gait. Her husband explains that he’s in Jefferson County Jail, awaiting further legal proceedings that would determine the length of his reinvigorated sentence. As a result, he was jailed indefinitely until an official court hearing was conducted, which was at the time not even scheduled, all this while in the middle of the season.

Naturally, Chapel spoke with defeat in her voice, and mentioned how she’s being left completely alone in all of the obligations they were meant to attend to as a couple. The situation was so serious that Andrew told her he hopes she’d be there whenever he’s out of jail, implying that it could very well take years.

In that case, however, Chapel would have to abandon the show, or become a full-fledged Amish woman herself and take another husband. All of that is much easier said than done, especially for someone who has a past full of drug-related incidents and petty crime. In fact, it was the presence of people like Chapel and Andrew that made the broader Amish community feel disrespected by TLC.

Chapel made sure to clarify to the camera crew that she only ever wanted the best for Andrew, and part of that was letting him make individual decisions, and thus achieve success that is completely his own, but alas, explaining that he ended up making all the wrong choices.

pic.twitter.com/QL1wjvLOnZ

— Return to Amish (@ReturnToAmish) May 25, 2015

Tragic as that may be, with Chapel’s slight speech impediment brought on by long-term use of hard drugs, sealed this moment as one of the most iconic in the entire series, since it’s practically unheard of that anyone in the Amish community struggles with modern-day narcotics, as they wouldn’t even be able to access them in the first place.

Andrew, however, picked up some bad habits after leaving his ancestral home in “Breaking Amish,” coming across Chapel along the way, who was already struggling with various kinds of opiates herself. It’s thus no surprise that many fans of the show exclusively blame the wife in this scenario, while the Amish who are aware of the situation have no sympathy for Chapel either.

Knowing this herself, Chapel asked him what she’s supposed to do all on her own, asking whether to even inform his mother, who is Amish through and through, suggesting that she would probably blame her for everything and like her even less.

Andrew had no advice to offer her on the matter, and simply asked for a lawyer. At the very end, he said ‘I love you’ in Pennsylvanian Dutch, the native language of the Amish. Chapel spoke it right back, and the phone call ended on a rather low note.

It’s moments like these that made the young Schmuckers really stand out, allowing them to at least earn a decent income from their time on screen. The financial incentive is sure to have made their struggle easier, but it simply wasn’t enough on its own to keep them in the run alongside the other cast members.

Crumbling into oblivion

After a rather tumultuous 2015, which saw the second season of “Return to Amish” play out and bare the skeletons that the Schmuckers had in their closet, the following year would hammer the last nail in their coffin.

First of all, 25 July 2015 became a rather fateful day for the two, as Chapel would commit the mistake of a lifetime while her husband was already in jail. She was found to be in possession of stamp bags of heroin, numerous syringes to inject it, and illegally obtained Valium, which she had no prescription for.

She was thus charged with two counts of the misdemeanor of possession of a controlled substance by a person not registered, for the Valium, and two counts of use or possession of drug paraphernalia for the syringes. Chapel’s bail in this instance was set to $50,000 which she couldn’t afford, and was thus relocated to Jefferson County Jail.

Things ended up better for her later in the year however, as she managed to regain her freedom on probation. 5 January 2016 rolled around just as the situation began looking up, with Chapel and her friend Ashley caught trying to trade another person’s drug-free urine to their probation officers in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

She somehow got herself out of this mess too, and still stayed out of jail. This silver lining gave the fans hope that they would see the couple back in the third season, but they were in for yet another shocker.

Pennsylvania police mounted a gigantic drug bust sting operation in late March 2016, ultimately seizing over $90,000 worth of methamphetamine, over $8,000 worth of heroin, and an additional $27,000 allegedly drug cash. Chapel was one of the 27 individuals placed under arrest at the scene, which is the last thing her supporters expected to hear, as she promised both publicly and privately that she would do everything in her power to turn the situation around.

The bust also burst the bubble of many, sealing the fate of Chapel and Andrew, as she later confirmed to her fans in Facebook comment threads that she and her husband wouldn’t be returning to the show. Their supporters at least found solace in the fact that they remained together through thick and thin, appearing to be on the path to betterment after making numerous bad decisions.

Faking a serious illness

According to starcasm.net, Chapel and Andrew had been accused by both viewers and participants of “Return to Amish” of faking Chapel’s cancer remission. Due to the nature of the illness, many were disgusted to hear such news, which gave the couple a very bad reputation.

Kate Stoltz, a fellow co-star of the TV series, wasted no time confirming the rumors that the entire cancer-related ordeal that the couple supposedly suffered through was staged, and for a monetary reason at that.

In reality, TLC is notorious for having reality TV participants re-enact whatever dramatic event occurred in their life before the filming, wanting to incorporate as much material as possible into their production, even at the cost of chronological inaccuracy and facts of the matter.

They seem to always get away with this, as the audience either doesn’t know, doesn’t care, or accuses the stars themselves of acting in bad intentions. Kate’s confirmation started off an avalanche of online drama, with Chapel and her friend Sabrina taking a stand against the very idea that any of that was fake to begin with.

Sabrina was supposedly disgusted at the idea that anyone could even think to accuse a cancer patient of pretending to have the illness, calling Chapel a ‘beautiful, strong and intelligent soul.’ However, it was apparent to most people that the alleged sufferer simply had way too much energy and vigor to realistically be in a condition as terrible as had been purported.

Also, since neither Chapel nor Andrew are very skilled actors, it wasn’t that hard to recognize the classic TLC re-enactment whenever the cancer topic would come up. However, this isn’t to say that Chapel never had cancer. She did actually go through remission, but prior to the filming of the second season, at which point there were no camera crews around her.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BO1SMmwAIbn/

Life after a media death

After leaving the lights of reality television, Chapel seems to have three jobs, at least according to her Facebook profile, which lists her as a line cook at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, cashier at Jai-Alai, and shift supervisor at Denny’s.

She is still married to Andrew, whose recovery from addiction is at an unknown stage, since he barely ever posts anything and appears to be mostly offline, while his wife informs the fans of her activities from time to time, such as catching a walleye while fishing with her mother and step sister. All in all, she appears to have recovered from drug use, but it’s believed that she won’t be returning to the TV screen.

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From McDonald’s to weight loss surgery: How is Chris Combs doing now?

Published

15 hours ago

May 1, 2024

Daniel Wanburg

Depending on how you look at it, Chris Combs is both very lucky and extremely unfortunate to have been featured on television alongside his YouTube sisters Tammy and Amy Slaton, who are also known by their series’ title – “1000-lb Sisters.” It’s a reality TV show launched by TLC in 2020, following the seemingly eternal weight loss journey of the infamous duo.

Their notoriety is among some of the highest on YouTube, and for good reason. If there’s any surefire way to betray one’s viewers and disappoint their audience, the sisters have most likely done it by now. While the show itself is quite similar to “My 600-lb Life” in terms of what it strives to achieve, the largely negative reputation of the two sisters makes it nothing like its cousin.

Instead, it’s the amalgamation of their well-documented empty promises, irresponsible decisions, crocodile tears and even outright scams, all neatly packaged into a Tammy-Slaton-bite-sized cheeseburger of drama and non-existent progress, which is highly likely to perpetuate until the show’s eventual cancellation.

Combs, who initially appeared in the show simply for the sake of being a supportive brother, has struggled with his own weight for years. At the start of filming, he was working at McDonald’s and only 40lbs (18kgs) away from his lifetime-heaviest weight. Unlike his sisters, however, Chris’ weight loss was a relatively straightforward endeavor, as he stuck to the doctor’s advice and behaved responsibly throughout the ordeal.

Contents

1 The vile origins of Amy and Tammy Slaton
- 1.1 Blatant animal abuse
- 1.2 Scamming money out of fans
2 Organizing harassment
3 Tax evasion and disability fraud
4 The infamous funeral scam
5 The real success story

The vile origins of Amy and Tammy Slaton

Tammy and Amy first caught the public eye in 2014, at which point they began appearing together frequently in videos on Amy’s YouTube channel. While originally created in 2011, it wasn’t until three years later that it would actually come alive, as the sisters started uploading frequently. More specifically, Amy was the one recording and uploading, while Tammy would almost always appear alongside her.

The sisters’ rarely-seen amount of excess weight combined with their generally carefree behavior, to birth a seemingly confident and easygoing vibe, which came as a shock to most viewers at the time. This allowed them to slowly but surely gather a faithful audience, much to everyone’s ultimate dismay.

The video that skyrocketed them through the algorithm and into millions of direct messages in a matter of days is entitled “Chubby bunny challenge,” uploaded 10 November 2014. The entire stunt consisted of both sisters stuffing as many marshmallows in their mouths as possible, and uttering ‘chubby bunny’ after adding each individual one. The stand-off would last until either sister swallowed or spat out a marshmallow.

While both sisters were severely overweight at the time, what made them an entirely unique sight was the accumulation of adipose tissue in Tammy’s forehead, which gave her skull a bloated appearance and a very unnatural head shape. In spite of these severe physical setbacks, the sisters often had a friendly and even laidback disposition, which kept viewers coming back for more.

What they weren’t aware of at the time was that some of their regular camera stories were anything but ordinary and acceptable, and the earliest example of this is by far the most innocent one – Amy admitted on camera that she was arrested for shoplifting when attempting to steal a $7 book from Walmart.

Image source

While not really significant in nature, this petty crime set an ominous precedent of the despicable acts these two would commit throughout their YouTube career. Of course, no one thought much of it at the time, aside from maybe Amy learning a simple lesson in etiquette. New fans piled up, providing the sisters with hundreds of encouraging comments on pretty much every single video, which eventually caused them to relax and become emboldened enough to show their true nature.

Blatant animal abuse

In another one of their many vlogs further down the line, Amy complained that her camper’s AC system was broken by their insolent dog, who also bit her thigh and forearm. As a result, they were taking the canine to the local pound so as to have it observed for further signs of aggression. The dog was to be put down if the violent behavior persisted, or otherwise given to a new family.

At first glance, their actions are quite understandable. After all, who wants to get mauled by their own dog for no reason? However, there’s more to the story – Amy actually left the German Shepherd she’d recently adopted all alone in a camper in scorching hot temperatures at midday, with no air-conditioning on.

She said in the video that the AC was on, but if that were the case, the dog wouldn’t have had to break out of the camper. With a quick look at Amy’s general lifestyle, it becomes apparent that she’s not exactly an epitome of responsibility, which is greatly needed by anyone who wants to own a dog.

Their disgusting lack of care for pets continued well into the peak of their careers, another example being the time they left their new dog, Little Bit inside a car that was quickly converted into an oven, also without the AC on. If not for Tammy allegedly returning a couple of times to give the dog some ice water, it definitely would’ve perished in the heat.

Supposedly, Amy thought of Little Bit as her own daughter, and was devastated to see the chihuahua pass away due to cancer-related health complications at the age of 22. This clearly evident hypocrisy that pervaded almost every aspect of the Slatons is what turned the audience away from their channel in droves.

Scamming money out of fans

Not having learned a thing from the negative comments of their honest critics, the sisters continued behaving in whatever way they wanted, eventually beginning to use their influence as content creators to drain money out of the fans. While most YouTubers have a membership offer or a Patreon page, all of which comes with extra benefits, the sisters simply asked people for money.

The first example of this took place when Amy came up with a GoFundMe page, asking their fans to donate money so they could get a MacBook and increase the editing and thus overall quality of their videos. Regardless of this idea seeming like a simple win-win transaction, a lot of the fans were outraged at the proposal, telling the sisters to get off their backsides and actually earn a living like everyone else does.

The difference between an average streamer and the Slaton sisters asking for donations is that the streamer is normally a person who tries hard to entertain, and devotes a sizable chunk of valuable time towards that career pretty much every day, while the Slaton sisters press the record button, talk, stop filming, and upload.

Amy then very unconvincingly told the viewers that none of that was her or Tammy’s idea, but that her friend insisted she do it just so they could measure the reaction. Understandably, not many fell for this obvious excuse, since it was just as convincing as their everyday responsibility evasion fairytales.

Unfortunately, by the time the GoFundMe page was taken down, the sisters had made over $800, which they never returned to anyone. Even though that’s not really a vast sum of money, it’s way above the regular wage of most of their viewers. Regardless, the sisters didn’t really care about that, and simply ignored the odd one asking to have their hard-earned donation returned.

Organizing harassment

In yet another horrendous admission, Amy casually spoke about the time she went on a date and it didn’t work out for her. The man she went to dinner with was also autistic, which caused him to require slightly better explanations of a few things that non-neurodivergent individuals don’t struggle with.

The date apparently went well, and they booked a hotel room aiming to engage in kissing and subsequently intercourse. Feeling clearly superior to the man, Amy figured she would teach him what a hickey is and thus give him one, but her date was confused as to what she was doing, accusing her of biting him. This infuriated Amy, who expected him to magically just understand what has happening, so she actually did bite him at that point.

Outraged, the young man took to social media after a massively disappointing night out, and post about why it’s wrong to be physically violent with someone in spite of their wishes. However, his tone there, was defensive, and he made sure not to mention or reveal anything about Amy herself.

This angered the Slaton sister even more, at which point she took to the comment section of his post and offended him based on his penis size. As if that weren’t enough, she also posted his phone number on the internet, calling him various derogatory terms and accusing him of lacking the manhood she considers to be elementary.

Tax evasion and disability fraud

While it’s been normal for over a decade for content creators to ask their audience for money, the way in which the Slatons went about doing this caused sheer disgust among the public. The reason for this is that whenever a content creator does ask for money, they do so while being open about their financial situation.

Some YouTubers, for example, grow their channel as a side hustle, and those who donate to them are aware that the website isn’t their primary source of income. Others work on YouTube full-time, and depend on their viewers’ payments to sustain their livelihood.

In the case of the Slatons, they asked the viewers to buy their merchandise because both of them were unemployed, supposedly due to crippling excess weight. However, in another one of their rant videos, Amy revealed that they’re on disability checks, with Amy receiving one for both her weight and restricted eyesight.

Furthermore, the way that the sisters sold their merchandise wasn’t through an online marketplace, but through a donation link. Those purchasing their items would leave their email within the donation message, and the sisters would then contact them and send the goods.

Just a warning there's a lot of fake accounts pretending to be me

— Tammi ❤ (@Tammy_Slaton) March 10, 2021

By having the payments count as donations, Amy and Tammy were effectively receiving tax-free money under the guise of an online business, which allowed them to keep receiving disability checks on top of their content creator income.

Of course, due to the nature of the ‘transaction,’ there was no proof of purchase, no refund option, and no shipment tracking, meaning every single buyer was left to the sheer mercy and lackluster responsibility of Amy and Tammy, after literally giving away their hard-earned money in hopes of getting what they purchased.

The ‘business’ eventually came to a complete halt when it was revealed that the sisters weren’t even paying the artists who designed their merchandise, in spite of having access to way more than enough to cover those expenses. Due to the scandal, Tammy’s TikTok with over one million followers was permanently banned for fraudulent activity.

The infamous funeral scam

One day the fans woke up to more grim news from the sisters, according to which Tammy fell over and was unable to breathe for a while. She was rushed to hospital, and promptly diagnosed with pneumonia. Her condition then worsened, and she was placed on life support for the next three weeks.

Amy then started a GoFundMe campaign for her sister’s funeral, citing the reason as being unable to afford the burial expenses that would most likely follow, all the while her sister was still very much alive in the hospital. The fans were confused, however, since the sisters were making good money at the time, allowing Amy to actually afford the entire funeral cost.

Almost comically, she stated that in regular circumstances this wouldn’t be a financial burden, but Tammy required a triple-sized extra-large coffin, which apparently had astronomical costs. Interestingly, even though Tammy was on a medical card, not even that added bonus combined with their entire income thus far would be enough for a coffin, at least according to Amy.

All the while, Amy pushed the GoFundMe campaign as the much-needed safety net without which she wouldn’t be able to financially survive Tammy’s inevitable death. She made it clear in another video that 100% of the proceeds would go only towards her sister’s funeral and absolutely nothing else.

After Tammy had returned to the videos regularly, and it was clear to everyone that she wasn’t in mortal danger, Amy told the viewers that she gave the money to her mother, who used it to pay Tammy’s bills. When asked to provide receipts for said payments, she stated that her mother was looking for them, and later changed her story to say they were simply thrown into the trash at some point.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CrYlCg5uERf/

The real success story

If anything, the audience can at least cheer for Chris Combs, who never engaged in any fraudulent activity, and was simply going through a hard time upon joining the second season of “My 1000-lb Life.” While initially only there to support his sisters, he was persuaded by TLC’s producers to undertake a weight loss journey of his own.

He eventually underwent weight loss surgery, and dropped around 140lbs (63kgs), but needed to stay physically active in order to maximize on the medical procedure. He ran into another issue when his daily workouts were restricted by his badly damaged leg, for which he also had surgery.

Chris is physically active and in mid-2023 continues to lose weight, with his blood sugar now leveled off and insulin injections no longer necessary. He still follows strict dietary plans and looks and feels healthier than ever, while also having a squeaky clean record, in spite of his sisters’ many wrongdoings – the only true Slaton success story.