The show “My 600lb Pound Life”, which airs on TLC, showcases many heartwarming and inspirational success stories. The tale of Schenee Murry-Hawkins, however, is not one of them.
Murry-Hawkins, 27, weighed 665 lbs when filming for the show began. As a kindergartener, she was sexually abused by a cousin, which she believes triggered her use of food as a coping mechanism. Attempts to humiliate her over her weight to make her stop overeating would fail, only making Murry-Hawkins, who turned to food to cope, eat even more.
Eventually, she developed cellulitis, lost a lot of her mobility, and weighed 430 lbs at the age of 20. But when she was 23, she was raped by an acquaintance of her cousin, and that made her eat, even more, believing that looking big would protect her from future assault.
A ray of hope came in Freddie, a friend of Murry-Hawkins’ brother, who loved her appearance. The two married, but their happy ending was shattered. Murry-Hawkins suffered two miscarriages, and Freddie had to help bath and scrub her every day and do everything for her, including wheel her around in a wheelchair while she bought junk food.
Feeling like a burden to her husband and her family, Murry-Hawkins finally met with Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, a well-known weight-loss surgeon. She was told to stay on a strict 1,200 calorie diet, so she would lose 30 lbs by the end of the month and be able to undergo weight loss surgery.
But Murry-Hawkins couldn’t stick to the diet. She missed her weigh-in appointment and gained 28 lbs, and the stress put a strain on her marriage. She promised to try again, but missed her next appointment as well, making even more excuses. Freddie even started sneaking food into the hospital for her.
She finally managed to lose 91 lbs when kept in the hospital on a strict diet, but when she was released, the cycle began again. At her final weigh-in, Murry-Hawkins had hit 712 lbs, and her doctor said she had to either stick to the diet and seek therapy or be kicked off the program.
Following that, she blocked the doctor’s phone number and never showed up for another appointment. We don’t know what’s happened to her now, but we wish her the best and hope she finds the strength to push for a healthier life.
