Kriti Mehrotra
TLC’s ‘My 600-lb Life’ profiles the long and, sometimes, taxing journey of morbidly obese individuals who have decided to take on the challenge of leading a healthier lifestyle to turn their lives around for the better. Helped by Dr. Now, who tailors his program as per each person’s needs and acts as their supervisor, the goal is to lose enough weight on their own so as to get approval for the weight-loss assist surgery. But it’s not as easy as it seems, as showcased by Angie J, one of the most controversial people to appear on the show.
Angie J’s My 600-lb Life Journey
We first met Angie J, full name Angela Marie Dunham-Johns, on season 7 episode 19 as a 39-year-old Massilon, Ohio, resident in desperate need of assistance due to her weight and the effect it has had on her mobility and health. Tipping the scales at 643 lbs, she faced a lot of obstacles, but she always had the support of her husband, who once even said, “I want to see her get better so she can have a life, and we can have a life together.” Thus, they went to see Dr. Now in the hopes of getting Angie the life-saving surgery.
As detailed in her episode, Angie’s background has been quite traumatic. Not only was she molested by a family friend when she was a little girl, but when she tried to tell her drug-addict mother about it, she was simply brushed off. Then, at 13, Angie was sexually assaulted by a 27-year-old in what she described as her “first relationship.” This rape led to her getting pregnant, and she went through the entire experience of childbirth just to give her baby away. That’s when Angie turned to food and drugs for solace, leading to her massive weight gain.
Throughout her time in the weight-loss program, Angie not only refused to follow Dr. Now’s diet plan and exercises, but she continually argued with him as well, even going as far as to call the entire process “bulls–t.” At one point, because she was slurring, Dr. Now started to suspect that she was on drugs and ordered a toxicology test, only for it to reveal that she was under the heavy influence of marijuana. In 8 months, Angie lost 49 lbs, not even close to what was required of her to get the green light for the surgery. Thus, she was dismissed.
Where is Angie J Now?
Although Angie J ended her initial episode at 594 lbs, she decided to take full advantage of her experience and continued her weight loss journey on her own. However, it was not easy for her. After all, in 2019, she revealed that her husband left her and that even though she’s close to shedding enough weight to get the operation, she’s having financial troubles. For the latter, Angie created a GoFundMe Page with a $1,200 goal. It seems like she only raised $242 but was still able to relocate from Ohio to Texas.
According to Angie’s public Facebook profile, it’s evident that she has lost a significant amount of weight. Also, a couple of pictures she shared from a hospital bed, now deleted, make us believe that she has already undergone the weight-loss assist surgery. The new GoFundMe Page Angie launched on September 8, 2020, corroborates that by stating that she now needs help to “finish” her journey by getting excess skin removal surgeries.
“I returned home here in Ohio earlier this year for personal reasons,” she wrote. “I needed to be close to family for emotional support. I have been here for 6 months now, and I need [to] return to Houston to finish my journey. I am in desperate need for skin removal surgeries as the access skin is causing medical issues.” Although it’s not clear how much weight Angie has lost, she appears to be slimmer and happier than ever.
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