“Marla McCants, formerly recognized as the most obese black woman globally, was criticized because of her weight and self-destructive eating habits. However, Marla courageously embarked on a weight loss journey; the result will shock you.
Back in 2015, my less captivating story grabbed people’s interest on the TLC show, ‘My 600 Pound Life.’ Her sheer size amazed everyone as she struggled to get up, even from her bed. Her daughters, Brittany, Adele, and Sierra, bravely stepped up to care for her, handling even the simplest things like cleaning and bathing. It was a truly heart-wrenching sight that left many feeling sad. Yet, Marla’s focus remained on just one thing: eating, on and on.
‘I was very depressed. I hated everything about me. I hated my life. I hated the fact that I had to depend on my kids for everything. But eating brought me joy, great joy. It was my escape, so I couldn’t just stop eating,’ Marla explained in an interview.
It was puzzling to everyone why Marla wouldn’t give up her eating habits or attempt to get out of bed. The way she stuck to her love for food and avoided making any changes was like a riddle that got everyone intrigued and eager to see how her story would play out. At 43 years old, Marla was dealing with a lot of hurt from when she was a kid. Right from when she was an infant up until she turned six, her dad molested her.
Those memories never really went away, but she found ways to handle them as time went on. She even found herself in a steady relationship, although that didn’t turn out so great either. At first, her relationship felt super nice, but soon she saw that her partner had some really serious anger issues. As things got tougher, she mustered up the courage to end the relationship. He begged her to stay, but she stood strong and said no.
Unfortunately, things took a scary turn than she expected. Her ex-boyfriend, fueled by anger, pulled out the gun and held her against her will, stuck and really scared. She saw a chance to call 9-1-1 on her phone. When the police arrived, a tense shootout unfolded between the officers and her ex-boyfriend. Capitalizing on the chaos, Marla seized the opportunity to break free and fled to safety. Though she managed to escape physically, the traumatic incident left her profoundly shaken, stirring up memories of her past distressing experiences.
Deciding to put distance between herself and her ex-boyfriend, Marla and her daughter sought refuge in Nashville. Despite the geographical separation, an unrelenting sense of fear continued to grip her heart as her ex-boyfriend persistently stalked her. This harrowing period inflicted unimaginable trauma, compelling Marla to isolate herself indoors and seek solace in food. At first, staying inside was just a way to keep safe for a little while.
But as time went by, a few weeks turned into many months, and those months even stretched into years. Her ex-boyfriend was still out there, which kept Marla trapped in her own home. Meanwhile, the police kept working hard to catch him, and they eventually succeeded in arresting him. However, by the time justice caught up, Marla’s life had taken a really tough turn. She had started relying on fast food a lot, and her weight shot up to a whopping 700 pounds or 318 kilograms. On top of that, sadness weighed her down quite a bit. She ended up becoming the heaviest black woman in the world. Things got so bad that she couldn’t even get out of bed, and her daughters had to take care of her.
As the years passed, Marla found herself stuck in a monotonous routine: sleeping, eating, hardly moving from her bed. This vicious cycle began to seriously affect her health, leading to severe conditions like gout, diabetes, and arthritis. At this point, Marla was genuinely frightened for her life. She held a deep concern that one day her children might discover her lifeless body in bed. This prompted her to take action. In 2014, Marla enrolled in the program ‘My 600 Pound Life’ and made the decision to relocate to Texas, where she could be in close proximity to Dr. Yuna Nowzaradan, a featured doctor on the show known for assisting individuals in their weight loss journeys.
On moving day, Marla found herself immobilized in bed, and Sierra, her daughter, couldn’t manage on her own. The situation was dire, prompting Sierra to make a critical call for an ambulance. They needed to go to Texas, a 13-hour drive.
Throughout the arduous car ride, Marla remained seated, which unfortunately led to the formation of a perilous blood clot around her legs, eventually reaching her heart. Upon arriving at the Texas hospital, Marla’s health hung in the balance, compelling an immediate rush to the emergency unit. Dr. Nowzaradan did a special surgery on Marla’s leg; he put in a special filter to stop blood clots, and guess what? It worked. Marla started getting better. Nonetheless, this marked only the beginning of a journey fraught with tears, anguish, and despondency.
While spending time in the hospital, Marla found herself on a new diet that limited the number of calories she could eat each day. To add to the changes, the doctors wanted her to start standing up and walking again. These adjustments were crucial as they aimed to help her shed some weight, a necessary step before she could undergo bypass surgery.
Marla understood that she needed urgent assistance, but the thought of leaving her cozy hospital bed was quite overwhelming. The idea of standing up felt like a huge mountain to climb. She hesitated, fearing that attempting to do so might lead to something terrible happening. In the TV show, Marla became known as Dr. Nowzaradan’s ‘problem child’ due to her resistance towards exercising. While this nickname might have come across a bit insensitive, it highlighted her struggles with following the doctor’s orders, and the doctor’s warning was crystal clear: if Marla didn’t take his advice seriously and make the necessary changes, her life could genuinely be at risk.
When Marla wouldn’t budge, Dr. Nowzaradan told her to leave the hospital, and she actually did. But after eight weeks, something amazing happened. Dr. Nowzaradan got a call that almost made him cry; it was Marla’s daughter. She called to plead with the doctor, asking him to help her mom get out of bed. She didn’t want to lose her mom forever. Dr. Nowzaradan felt really touched; he didn’t waste any time. He gathered a team of EMTs and went to Marla’s house in Texas. They brought along a walker to help her and gave her all the support she needed. And guess what? Marla managed to stand up for a few minutes. She was in disbelief that she could do it. This small victory boosted her confidence and made her see that she could actually change for the better.
Marla got serious about her diet and her exercise routine. Day by day, she worked hard, and you know what? It paid off. Marla lost enough weight to make her eligible for bypass surgery. The surgery went really well. Marla said goodbye to a whopping 266 pounds
or 120 kilograms. Even though she still weighed 534 pounds or 242 kilograms, she didn’t lose hope. She knew she could do it; she was eager to lose more weight and even have surgery to remove extra skin.
Marla didn’t give up; she stuck to her tough diet and worked out like a champion. Five whole years went by, and the change in Marla was so incredible that people couldn’t stop talking about it. Her transformation was like a super exciting story spreading everywhere. Marla was excited to show off how far she’d come on her Facebook page. Even though she didn’t write down her current weight, the pictures she posted told an amazing story of her weight loss journey. You could clearly see that she had lost a lot of weight and was doing great.
But that’s not all. Marla McCants became a popular social media figure, and that’s not even the coolest part of her story. Marla went through a lot of tough times, but she didn’t give up, so it’s no surprise that she ended up in this awesome place. After being on the show, Marla didn’t stop there. She started talking to people to inspire them.
With time, she became someone who supports living a healthier life. Her journey is truly something to cheer for. In addition to her engagements as a speaker, Marla launched a website where she offers her services as a motivational speaker and health advocate. Drawing from her own experiences as a survivor, she fervently encourages individuals who are contemplating weight loss journeys to engage in thorough research and gain a comprehensive understanding of the potential consequences before making their decision.
Marla didn’t stop there; she brought her journey to Instagram. She keeps her fans super happy by regularly showing off how she looks now. Marla loves posting pictures that clearly show off how much weight she lost, and everyone thinks she’s totally allowed to do that. Plus, she’s so proud of her awesome makeup and gorgeous hair. More or less, she’s got this amazing self-confidence that just shines through. She’s celebrating all the cool stuff she’s achieved in life, and she totally deserves it.
