TLC’s ‘My 600-lb Life’ captures the remarkable experiences and tribulations of various morbidly obese individuals as they attempt to shed their weight, which is typically around 600 lbs. To achieve their target weight, they must overcome several challenges, adhere to strict diet and fitness plans, and undergo operations. They receive all the essential medical details, diet programs, and weight reduction surgery under the supervision of renowned bariatric surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, also known as Dr. Now.
Since its inception in 2012, the reality series has featured countless accounts of victories and setbacks. Individuals embark on their own unique journeys, and a majority of them do so in the hope of permanently altering their way of life. However, things do not always go as planned or as expected. Such is the story of Gina Krasley from season 8 episode 5, who faced multiple hurdles in her journey of weight loss. Because of her fascinating journey, numerous viewers must be curious to discover what happened to her. If you’re a fan, too, here’s everything we found out!
Gina Krasley’s My 600-lb Life Journey
When Gina Marie Krasley joined the show in season 8 in 2020, she was a 28-year-old, hailing from Tuckerton, New Jersey, and weighed over 600 pounds. She lived with her mother, Cathy Devereux, elder sister, Ali Samuels, and wife of at least three years, Elizabeth “Beth” Krasley. Gina mostly depended on Beth, — her primary caregiver — for all her basic needs, including cooking and getting food for her and her family. However, Beth had a growing concern over Gina’s health, but because of her love, she couldn’t say “no” to her unhealthy eating habits.
Gina, nonetheless, noticed this concern and admitted that her weight was harming not only her health but also her relationship with Beth. She was in pain because of her excessive weight and could barely move around, let alone take care of herself. Sadly, her food addiction stemmed from a disturbed childhood, mainly due to abandonment issues and an abusive environment. It began when a then-7-year-old Gina felt left out because her mother started paying more attention to her then-11-year-old sister, Ali, who got diagnosed with agoraphobia.
Gina explained that her jealousy led her to turn to food for comfort, which also led her to gain a lot of weight from the beginning. It made people bully her, which in turn made her act out on her family and get punished, especially by her father. She revealed that her father was the enforcer in the family and punished her brutally by hitting, choking, kicking, and also abusing her verbally by calling her “smelly,” “disgusting,” or “unworthy.” Gina added that it went on for a long time, for not just Gina but her sister Ali, and they both dealt with the pain through food.
Already weighing more than 300 pounds at age 14, things got worse for both sisters when the parents got divorced, and the mother refused to take them along, as mentioned on the show. They had to live with the father and deal with his abuse, only to keep using food as their source of escape. Gina had weighed more than 450 pounds by the time she graduated high school, which to their respite, meant she could get financial assistance because of her growing immobility.
Gina, thus, decided to use it to move away from her father and began living with her mother and Ali. A few years later, she met Beth, the love of her life, and they soon got married in 2016. However, since her food habits could not improve over time, she realized that she was slowly ruining her chances of having a future.
Therefore, she made her way to Houston and got in touch with Dr. Now, who gave her a strict customized diet and exercise plan to help her lose enough weight for weight-loss surgery. However, Gina could not follow it as required, despite her efforts, and ended up losing only 51 pounds. She ultimately brought down her weight from 606.7 to 556 pounds and was disqualified by Dr. Now and the team from having gastric bypass surgery.
Gina Krasley Has Passed Away Today
Gina, sadly, did not have a happy ending even after her diligent efforts to lose weight after the show. Although she documented losing quite some weight on her YouTube channel, which she opened around March 2020, she later developed a serious health issue and was even admitted to the hospital. In a shocking and sad turn of events, Gina Krasley passed away on August 1, 2021, due to unknown causes. At the time of her death, she was 30-years-old. Gina’s passing was announced by her family, who added that her loved ones at home surrounded her during the tragic moment.
Gina’s “greatest passion” was dancing, and her dream was to open a dance studio for children with special needs. Her sudden death leaves quite a few questions for her fans, especially because she was doing well on her weight loss journey. She had successfully lost more than 200 pounds on her own, became mobile again, and was also getting help for her mental health. Although she got divorced from Beth shortly before opening her YouTube channel, she was going strong and also ran a gaming channel prior to that.
Moreover, what gave her confidence was a sudden blow-up on the social media app, TikTok, owing to her dance videos with the inspiring trend, “dancing has no size limit.” After that, she posted about her life and health on her YouTube channel, Gina’s Life. However, around three months before her death, things became rough when she started having trouble eating and drinking and was later hospitalized. As it turned out, she was suffering from a kind of bacterial infection called Cellulitis, and also complained of nerve pain, because of which she also had an appointment with a neurologist.
However, Gina did not post any further updates, and the sad news of her death came out just a few weeks after that. She was one of the few cast members of the show who had also filed a lawsuit against the production company, Megalomedia, accusing them of negligence, lack of mental health support, harassment, and unpaid medical bills. After Gina’s death, her sister, Ali, and brother-in-law, Keith, picked up the conversation on the production teams’ alleged harassment again around April 2022.
They accused the company of allegedly making Gina eat more junk food than she could and purportedly filming her episode in only three to four months rather than one year. Gina’s family believes her followers were getting the wrong picture about her journey. As a result, looking at Gina’s entire journey, one should realize that focusing on mental health is as vital as other aspects. Now that she is remembered by her loved ones as the caring and genuine person she is, we would only hope that her family gets the closure they’re looking for.
Read More: Is My 600-lb Life Scripted or Real?
