Wess Schulze was featured in Season 11, episode 3 of My 600-Lb Life, and his story was one of the most heartbreaking and inspiring of the series.
He had been struggling with his weight since he was a child and had tried numerous diets and exercise programs to no avail.
Wess was living in a small town in Texas and weighed over 700 pounds when he first met famed Bariatric Surgeon Dr. Nowzaradan. He was surprisingly self-aware and admitted eating food was the only thing that felt good at the time.
Wess expressed fear of becoming bed bound from his weight gain. He was in much pain and had difficulty walking and performing everyday tasks. He was increasingly relying on his father for help.
He was also dealing with depression and anxiety due to his dependency on others, childhood trauma, and shame from his extreme size.
Despite a slow start, he lost 100 pounds and underwent gastric bypass surgery with Dr. Nowzaradan.
Wess Schulze took ownership of his weight gain on My 600-Lb Life
A significant shift in his motivation came after meeting with the show’s psychologist, Dr. Matthew Paradise, to help him deal with his mental health issues from a history of child abuse and shaming over his sexual orientation.
Dr. Paradise encouraged Wess to express his feelings and identity instead of hiding them because they were uncomfortable for others. Acknowledgment of the hidden parts of his life from his loving father was the medicine he needed to stay on track.
Wess lost over 200 pounds since the show was last filmed.
Wess Schulze’s difficult journey moved My 600-Lb Life fans
Wess Schulze’s emotional journey touched fans of My 600-Lb Life. His honesty and desire to turn his life around made him a fan favorite.
His spunky and polite personality invested viewers in his success and journey to independence. Fans expressed how likable Wess was on the show.
His ability to control his food addiction and success at losing a massive amount of weight inspired fans to cheer him on with his journey to get his life back.
Wess still has hopes to get back onstage and explore his love of acting and theater, which was put on hold because of his extreme size.
With a bit of self-love and the love of fans, his dad, and his cat, Lord Barnabus Von Catnip, no doubt Wess is on the right path to a bright future.
My 600-Lb Life airs on Wednesdays at 8/7c on TLC and streams on Discovery+.