This is an extraordinary documentary and an extreme lesson to us all about the dangers of obesity, caused by poor diet and no exercise.
Kenneth Brumley (pictured) has a mammoth and life-threatening problem. Weighing 73 stone (463kg), he is unable to walk. Trapped in his bed for four years, the father of four could die unless surgeons in Houston can perform radical gastric surgery to reduce his weight.
It looks a hopeless case; Kenneth has ballooned so much from cheap fast food and sugary drinks that the medical team can barely lift him, let alone get him out through his bedroom door. Eventually they succeed, although they have to cut a hole through a wall to remove him from his home.
In hospital, Kenneth gradually starts on the long road to recovery. Through strict diet he loses 12 stone (76kg). It's just enough for him to have surgery to remove huge fatty tumours from his legs before gastric bypass surgery can begin. It's a dangerous procedure. Renee Williams - a 64-stone woman whose case was documented in Half Ton Mum - had the surgery and survived, but died from a heart attack two weeks after the op.
There are other stories here, too, such as 57 stone (361kg) Billy Robbins, a 19-year-old lad similarly addicted to junk food and well on the way to being Kenneth's size. He's not helped by his mother, who panders to Billy's every need, giving him double or even triple hamburgers at a time, let alone pizza after pizza. However Billy is determined to lose weight, and chooses the same surgery that Kenneth is undergoing.
There's a decided element of the freak show about this programme. It makes shocking, ghastly viewing, and what particularly emerges from it is people's continued ignorance of the problems that fast food can cause. But if the programme makes us reflect on the dangers of poor diet and no exercise, and can stop people going down the deadly path of obesity, then it's a worthwhile piece of TV.
i feel sorry for him loads but his partner should help him though this by not lettinj his kids go the same way by feedinbg them junk food it is rediculas i understand he became like this after the split up with his kids mother but he met someone else got on with his life but all he ate was junk food his partner is ment to be lookin after his kids while he is in hospital and she feeds them junk food its like she wants them to turn out like him. as i said i feel sorry for him it is not his fault but has let him self slip but his partner could of said no while he was in bed for 4 years and she was feeding him. i am glad he can carry on with his life after the awful things which have happen to him. and his daughter finding her kid his grandchild a burger his awful. this family need to grow up and support there dad and partner.
May 15th - 2:29pmClaire said...
This show made me really sad. Not least because it shows how ignorant people are. While I don't understand how someone can reach that level of obesity in the first place, it was clear from the show that the families of these two obese men were not helping at all. I was pleased to hear Kenneth's family was recieving nutritional counselling, but I hope Billy's mum did too.. how could she do that to her own son? My heart went to the poor boy. He is 19 but this obviously started long before, when he was only a child. People need to learn about food and realise that giving your child - or anyone - whatever they want will, in the end, only hurt them.
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