What Happened To Marla McCants From 600-Lb. Life?
TLC's My 600-Lb. Life follows the stunning transformations of morbidly obese people as they embark on incredible weight loss journeys. Throughout their time on the reality series, participants will make significant lifestyle changes, drastically alter their diets, and, with the permission of the show's resident surgeon, may also undergo life-changing surgery to advance their weight loss goals. One unforgettable story to emerge in the show's history is that of Marla McCants, but what happened to the My 600-Lb. Life star?
Per the Daily Mail, Marla McCants from Nashville, Tennessee, weighed a life-threatening 800 pounds when she first appeared on the TLC reality hit. After undergoing gastric bypass surgery, Marla moved with her daughter to Houston, Texas, where she continued to work with weight loss expert Dr. Now.
At the end of her episode, McCants weighed in at 534 pounds (via The Cinemaholic), and she has managed to remain on her weight loss journey since leaving the show.
Marla has since heavily criticized the show
As of 2020, Marla McCants resides in Gallatin, Tennessee, and now describes herself as a health advocate and motivational speaker (via The Cinemaholic). She also runs her own blog where she shares updates about her life and weight loss journey.
Like several other stars of My 600-Lb. Life, Marla has since gone on to criticize the show's production company Megalomedia, accusing them of fakery and alleged unethical behavior (via Starcasm). Speaking on the Rickey Smiley Morning Show back in 2019, McCants recounted alleged production tricks used throughout filming, especially during one scene in which she claims the timings of her gastric bypass recovery were greatly exaggerated.
However, she made clear Dr. Nowzaradan (otherwise known as Dr. Now) was not included in her criticisms of the show. "I'm not gonna take anything away from [Dr. Nowzaradan]," McCants told Smiley, adding, "'cause he's the best gastric bypass surgeon there is. But as far as the rest of it ... TV is pure entertainment. That's all it is.