The ‘My 600-lb Life‘ chronicles the motivational weight loss struggles of numerous people. The show centers on morbidly obese people who frequently weigh more than 600 pounds. To reach their target weight, they adopt rigorous dietary restrictions and fitness regimens. They accomplish this with the help of famous bariatric surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, also known as Dr. Now, to be qualified for weight-loss surgery.
The reality show has emphasized the weight loss journeys of people with a variety of issues and attitudes, as well as their causes for weight gain, ever since it debuted in 2012. Some cast members also go through tremendous transformations with unexpected turns in their lives. Such is the journey of Destinee Lashaee from season 7 episode 10. As viewers might be curious to know what happened to her, here’s everything that we found out!
Destinee Lashaee My 600-lb Life Journey
Destinee Lashaee made history by being the first transgender cast member of the show in season 7. She appeared as a 27-year-old native of Louisiana living in Los Angeles who wanted to make big changes in her life and move ahead. She was born as a man named Matthew, but since she preferred to be a female, she wanted to undergo gender-affirming surgery. However, although she loved her curves, her food addiction to escape her depression and pain was causing her life to deteriorate as she weighed 669 pounds.
Destinee’s issues with food started at a young stage as she was born to a teenage mother, and thus, she was placed in the foster care system as a child. Apart from that, her struggles with her gender and sexual identity also led her to live a traumatic childhood, which made her eat as much as she could and weigh about 350 pounds by age 15. She came out to her family members at the age of 18, but she was, sadly, shamed for her identity. Later, she began presenting her fluid identity on social media to embrace herself and cope with her issues.
Unfortunately, Destinee’s mental and weight struggles did not end there as she also suffered the traumatic loss of her brother due to complications from a minor surgical procedure. This devastated her to the core, and she never processed the news until her appearance on the show. Her decision to join the show also stemmed from this upsetting event, as later, she also had suicidal thoughts because of her depression, as stated on the show.
However, once Destinee got into a positive mindset, she was willing to make the changes for herself and get out of the fatal life situation. Thus, she met Dr. Now, and after being advised to follow the calorie-restricted diet, she buckled up despite her initial struggles. She constantly made significant efforts, and the progress was seen on the scales when she lost a whopping 229 pounds and weighed 440 pounds by the end of her episode.
Destinee Lashaee Passed Away in February 2022
Destinee had managed to shed significant weight even after her time on the show and lost around 500 pounds. She gained more confidence and shared several updates and pictures on social media of her transformation. She was thorough with her fitness goals and dedicated to living a healthy life after moving to Houston. However, that later turned out to be her surface emotions, as she was internally still struggling with her mental health.
She, along with several other cast members, filed a lawsuit against the show’s production company, Megalomedia, in 2020. They alleged that the producers were reportedly negligent about the emotional well-being of the participants and exploited their mental health and anxiety issues with inappropriate behavior. This reportedly even made her suicidal after her appearance, as her brother’s death was a very personal matter for her.
Sadly, to the utter shock of her fans, Destinee passed away in February 2022, which was conveyed by her brother, Wayne Compton, on social media. He wrote a moving tribute for his sister, and his post read, “I’m sorry bro, I accept you for who you are, I accept every flaw that come with you. I’m sorry you felt alone. I’m sorry you felt you had nobody else to turn to, I’m sorry you felt you had no other option.” However, he did not mention the cause of her death.
This just shows that talking and expressing about one’s mental health, as well as paying attention to someone’s struggles with it, is very important. Thus, we only hope that Destinee rests in peace now and that her family, friends, and fans can cope with this loss in a healthy manner.
Read More: Leneathra Reed My 600-lb Life Update: Where is She Today?
