‘1000-lb Sisters’ Promotes Unhealthy Ideas Around Weight Loss

Society is obsessive about weight loss, whether it’s online comments speculating about an influencer’s weight gain or tabloids questioning if a celebrity has become too small for their own good. It’s part of what made TLC’s 1000-lb Sisters so popular from the get-go when it debuted in January 2020. Viewers instantly loved keeping up with the lives of Tammy and Amy Slaton, two sisters from Kentucky who struggled with morbid obesity, which inspired the reality show’s title.

Their show was initially a story of weight loss and survival, but nowadays, it’s become a franchise and an entire social media spectacle. While the Slaton sisters were praised for giving honest portrayals of food addiction, disability, and poverty – intertwining subjects very few other reality shows have tackled head-on – it’s also had its fair share of controversy. 1,000-lb Sisters has been criticized for becoming a spectacle for fatphobia, and for playing up the family’s dysfunction for the drama and ratings. As the sisters have continued losing weight, it’s caused new concerns. One of the big questions is whether the show reinforces unrealistic or dangerous expectations for weight loss. Could the Slaton sisters’ success stories be misinterpreted as quick fixes? When you think about it, there’s not a simple answer.

The Slaton Sisters Used Extreme Measures to Lose Weight on ‘1000-lb Sisters’

Both Tammy and Amy have undergone extreme transformations since their show debuted five years ago – and good for them. When you look at the numbers, you realize how incredible their success has been. Tammy weighed 725 pounds at her peak. There were times she was dependent on oxygen and completely bedridden.

Tammy was initially resistant to the lifestyle changes thrust upon her when she began her weight loss journey, but we’ve seen her have a big attitude change. A turning point for the reality star seemed to be in late 2021, when she suffered a major health crisis. Tammy had to be put in a medically induced coma after being hospitalized with pneumonia and carbon dioxide poisoning.

After the scare, Tammy lost 115 pounds during a 30-day rehab stint. She went on to qualify for bariatric surgery in July 2022. As of November 2024, Tammy revealed she’s down to 281 pounds – a fraction of her former size, and the lightest she’s been since childhood.

Still, her experience hasn’t been without additional challenges, including post-surgery complications. Tammy has been honest about her struggles with excess skin, discomfort, and mobility issues. She’s expressed interest in skin removal surgery to combat the issues, though those come with their own set of risks, especially given her vaping addiction. Furthermore, she’s been open about the emotional toll the drastic lifestyle changes have had, once admitting that she “lost who she was” during the weight loss journey.

“The Mental Battle is Real ‘The mental aspect plays a significant role. Being depressed and having a food addiction, I often ate my feelings, taking out my emotions on food,’” she wrote on Instagram alongside a meme in September. “So many of us can relate to this struggle. It’s not just about food—it’s about dealing with the deeper emotional challenges we face. Healing starts from the inside, and I’m here to share my journey to show that you are never alone in this fight.

She added, “Whether [you’ve lost] 500 lbs. like I [did], or you almost lost all your weight, whether you deal with depression or feel like you don’t want to do tomorrow, just know you are safe here.”

Tammy’s sister, Amy, was never as heavy. She was 406 pounds at her largest weight, but viewers have also seen her deal with a myriad of health issues on the show due to her weight, including diabetes, fertility issues, and mobility limitations. She had gastric bypass in 2019, many years before Tammy, and went on to give birth to two sons, Gage and Glenn, post-op.

Amy actually faced criticism for getting pregnant so quickly after bariatric surgery. She did experience some setbacks during and after her pregnancies, including regaining some weight. Even though she’s never skyrocketed to her heaviest weight again, she’s also dealt with serious personal struggles. Amy was arrested in September 2024 on charges of drug possession and child endangerment after a bizarre stint at the zoo. It also started a CPS investigation. It’s since raised questions about addiction transference – a common post-op concern in bariatric patients.

Even members of their extended family have followed their lead by using extreme weight loss measures, like Amanda Halterman. Though she wasn’t one of the original stars of 1,000-lb Sisters, she’s become a fan favorite for her candidness. She had bariatric surgery in March 2023 and has lost over 300 pounds, barely recognizable nowadays.

Is the Show Sending the Wrong Message About Weight Loss?

Tammy, Amy, and Amanda all had to get doctor approval before undergoing bariatric surgery – and viewers saw just how rigorous the process can be. But nowadays, going under the knife isn’t the only or easiest way to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time.

Hollywood has entered the Ozempic era, where celebrities like Amy Schumer, Chelsea Handler, and Elon Musk have admitted to using weight loss medications like Ozempic or Wegovy to promote rapid weight loss. There’s a growing (and dangerous) trend of average or slim celebrities turning to medical weight loss to maintain appearance.

There’s an assumption that all weight loss must be good for the overall body. But in reality, it matters how you’re losing it (and how quickly). That’s why Tammy, Amy, and Amanda all had the support of an entire medical team before undergoing surgery. They were forced to make lifestyle changes and prove they could lose weight without medical interference before they were allowed to get surgery – just because it’s so risky. And it’s not worth the risk if the weight loss won’t stick.

While weight loss medications need to be prescribed by a doctor, they’re more accessible than surgery. Even the Slaton sisters have been accused of turning to weight loss drugs, especially in recent seasons when their weight loss has continued, but they’ve never confirmed the speculation. And that’s the case for a lot of celebrities.

But the stars that have come out and admitted to using weight loss drugs usually do so because they didn’t have a positive experience. Consider Amy Schumer, who said she quit after feeling “too sick” and was “bedridden” due to the extreme symptoms.

“I was one of those people that felt so sick and couldn’t play with my son. I was so skinny and he’s throwing a ball at me and [I couldn’t],” the comedian has said.

Even more telling, there was once a time when Sharon Osbourne was a major Ozempic enthusiast. The wife of Black Sabbath’s frontman has long been known for her willingness to go under the knife to maintain her youthful appearance. While she initially praised Ozempic, she later changed her stance after losing too much weight (over 40 pounds) and it started to negatively affect her health. Sharon has always been petite and never overweight, so her use of Ozempic sparked controversy about whether she even needed the drug in the first place.

“I started on Ozempic last December, and I’ve been off it for a while now, but my warning is don’t give it to teenagers, it’s just too easy,” Sharon told Daily Mail. “You can lose so much weight and it’s easy to become addicted to that, which is very dangerous.”

“You have a weight problem, and you’ve tried everything, and then somebody says, ‘Take this injection and you’re going to be skinny,’” she continued.

Sharon said there were pros and cons to the medication, and while it may work fine for someone, it ended up taking a toll on he body after a certain time. “You’re not hungry, but for me—it’s different for everybody—but for me, the first few weeks were f*cking sh*t because you just throw up all the time and feel so nauseous,” Sharon went on. “After a couple of weeks, it goes, and you’re just fine. You feel fine, just not hungry.” Sharon has said she continues to feel the effects of Ozempic even long after stopping it and encourages others to proceed with caution.

Semaglutide medications like Ozempic work by mimicking a hormone that regulates blood sugar and digestion, helping users feel fuller longer. Originally developed to treat diabetes, they’ve quickly become a go-to tool for cosmetic weight loss – despite the risks. Side effects can include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, muscle loss, and more serious long-term concerns.

While 1,000-lb Sisters stars may have done their journey under the supervision of medical professionals, that doesn’t mean it’s done no harm in setting unrealistic standards. The show is heavily focused on the “before and after” transformations, which in turn feeds into the very culture that’s so obsessed with results over process. It doesn’t matter how you got the results – just that you did. But at the end of the day, it does matter how you got there, at least in terms of your overall health.

Extreme Weight Loss Isn’t a Universal Solution

It’s easy for fans to overlook the fact that the sisters were facing life-threatening obesity. Their surgeries were a last resort, not an aesthetic fix. It may have been worse for their health to maintain their heaviest weights than to lose it, even if they had to turn to drastic measures. But this isn’t the case for everyone – the Slaton sisters are an extreme case.

Their methods – rehab, bariatric surgery, extreme dietary restriction – are appropriate for their cases, not for someone who’s only 20 lbs overweight. And as has been shown on the show, these procedures and medications can come with their own emotional tolls, side effects, and lifelong changes. From Tammy’s coma to Amy’s legal issues, and the overall impact on mental health, the show makes it clear that extreme weight loss isn’t a magic solution – it’s a major upheaval with lasting consequences.

In this sense, there is potential harm to viewers. Impressionable fans may assume that drastic measures are normal or necessary. It may fuel interest in bariatric surgery or weight loss medications purely for cosmetic reasons. Younger viewers may not grasp the severity of these medical interventions.

While the weight loss journeys shown on 1,000-lb Sisters are about courage and medical necessity, the show’s editing (and the audience’s reaction) can easily distort that. It takes away from what’s really important. The Slaton sisters are turned into a “weight loss inspiration” narrative without proper framing, which is how their story can be misused. There’s no denying that Tammy and Amy’s transformations are real and inspiring. But the way they’re packaged for entertainment raises valid concerns. In a culture hungry for instant results, the show can accidentally glamorize extreme weight loss or push unsafe standards. What’s missing is context – not all weight loss is created equal, and not all bodies need to be “fixed.”

Society is obsessive about weight loss, whether it’s online comments speculating about an influencer’s weight gain or tabloids questioning if a celebrity has become too small for their own good. It’s part of what made TLC’s 1000-lb Sisters so popular from the get-go when it debuted in January 2020. Viewers instantly loved keeping up with the lives of Tammy and…