TLC/YouTube Joyce Del Viscovo, a 44-year-old Kansas native who weighs 758 pounds, is the subject of tonight's episode of "My 600 Lb Life," which airs at 8 p.m. EST on TLC.
Joyce Del Viscovo, a 44-year-old Kansas native who weighs 758 pounds, is the subject of tonight’s re-run of My 600 Lb. Life. Joyce turned to celebrity bariatric surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan to help regain control of her life and shed some weight after she was forced to close down a daycare center she was running due to complications with her obesity.
The TLC description of her Season 8 episode, titled “Joyce’s Story,” reads, “Joyce needs home health care 24/7 and hasn’t left the house in years. But getting to Dr. Now in Houston is just the first step, and when he prescribes therapy where Joyce must revisit an unhappy past with her mom, it may be more than she can handle.”
Here’s what we know about the reality star, her journey with Dr. Now, and where she is today. (Warning: some spoilers on Joyce’s story ahead! Turn back now if you don’t want anything ruined for you before the episode airs!)
Joyce Was Combative During Her Journey With Dr. Now & Often Made Excuses For Her Weight Gain & Poor Eating Habits
“Shut up and give me the food!” While Joyce and her caretakers know it’s time to start eating healthier, they struggle with changing old habits. Follow the journey tonight at 8/7c on #My600lbLife.
At 4 feet 11 inches and weighing around 759 lbs with a BMI of 160, Joyce was one of the largest subjects to have been featured on the show so far. The reality star was a controversial figure on My 600-lb Life, often combative with Dr. Now and frequently making excuses for her weight issues, including blaming Dr. Now’s program for her failures.
On top of her issues with Dr. Now, Joyce maintained an entitled attitude throughout her journey, often lashing out at her loved ones and the people in her life who were trying to help her. The clip above introduces Joyce, who says she wishes her caretakers would just “shut up and give [her] the food” instead of berating her about the size of her meals.
“I know my family and Dawn are all worried about me,” Joyce says in the clip. “And they don’t think I’m going to make it much longer. But just like me, they keep doing what they’ve been doing, and help me eat the stuff I’m not supposed to have now. And I know when I do that, my mom’s judging me when I eat a lot.”
The reality star adds, “But as much as it bothers me, there’s part of me where I don’t care. I almost have the attitude of ‘duh, I don’t get this big eating small amounts, so why would you expect me to do so?’ So I just want to say, ‘Shut up and give me the food! And leave if you have a problem with it.’”
Joyce Dropped Out of Doctor Now’s Program & It’s Unclear if She Has Lost Any Weight on Her Own Since
Joyce inevitably dropped out of the program before the 12 months was up; she lost a total of 134 pounds in the end, but she had started to gain much of it back during her follow-up weigh-ins. The last weigh-in she had before she dropped out of Dr. Now’s care was 611 pounds.
At one point, Joyce blamed the scale for being broken and told Dr. Now that his diet restrictions were “unfair” and “unreasonable.” She also claimed that she gave, “110% to the program so I’m not failing the program, the program is failing me.”
It’s unclear if Joyce has continued to lose weight today; her Facebook page doesn’t show any progress pictures or give any indication that the reality star has continued working on improving her health. There are no recent photos of Joyce on the page, so we aren’t sure if she finally found a program that works for her or a new doctor to help her succeed in losing weight. Her social media page is filled mainly with pictures of her mother, posts on the Minneapolis riots, police brutality and racism, and a few random quizzes and news articles.
My 600 Lb Life airs Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. EST on TLC. You can find more coverage on the Season 8 cast and subjects here.
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