Another cast member from TLC’s My 600-lb. Life has died.
The Sun reported on Monday that Latonya Pottain— who was featured on Season 11 of the show– died on Saturday at the age of 40. According to the outlet, she died at Christus Highland Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. While the final autopsy remains pending, the preliminary autopsy reportedly shows that Latonya died of congestive heart failure.
The former TLC star’s brother told The Sun that while visiting his sister on Saturday, family members noticed that she was having difficulty breathing. Latonya was taken to the hospital later that day where she went into cardiac arrest.
Fans of the TLC series may remember Latonya from Season 11 of ‘My 600-lb. Life,’ with her episode airing in February 2023. During her episode, Latonya struggled to stick to her weight-loss plan, claiming that she turned to overeating as a way to cope with her mental health issues.
“When I eat, it takes the stress away,” she told viewers. “That’s what I do to help me cope with things. I know the food is unhealthy and not good for me. But with the habit that I have for long, it’s hard to change it.
“I’m disappointed in myself for getting to this place,” she continued.
Latonya first met Dr. Nowzaradan– aka Dr. Now– when she weighed 482 pounds, at which point Dr. Now encouraged her to lose 40 to 50 pounds in order to qualify for weight-loss surgery. Unfortunately, Latonya continued to gain weight and Dr. Now eventually informed her that he was unable to help her.
Five years later, Latonya returned to Dr. Now’s office at the age of 37 and weighing 631 pounds, assuring the doctor that she was “very motivated” and had a “great support system,” which she claimed she was lacking in the past.
“I never reached out to my family,” Latonya explained. “I tried to do it on my own. I reached out to them and they really came through.”
Latonya also credited her fiance for helping to support her, noting on the show that she wanted to get married, start a family “and be normal.”
By the end of her episode, Latonya had lost just over 40 pounds.
Sadly, Saturday wasn’t the first time Latonya had been hospitalized for heart issues. Just last year, the 40 year-old took to Facebook asking for prayers amid another heart-related health battle.
“Y’all pray for me my heart not working right and there is nothing more the doctors can do here in Louisiana please keep me lifted,” she wrote at the time.
Latonya is reportedly the 17th cast member from ‘My 600-lb. Life’ to die after (or while) appearing on the TLC series, with four former participants passing away in 2023 alone.
RELATED STORY: Lifetime Announces New Series ‘The 6000 Lb. Diaries with Dr. Now’ Premiering in January: Watch a Sneak Peek
(Photos: TLC; Instagram)
3 Responses
This is no different than a drug or alcohol addiction, or like someone just mentioned, anorexia in reverse. Very, very painful to watch. All the same ingredients of any addiction; the enablers, the fed-up people, the medical problems, relapses, and desire to escape pain. As with all addictions, many people are so quick to say “why don’t you just stop?” This is the one addiction where you must continue with your “drug of choice” to stay alive. I can’t imagine.
I don’t feel it’s fair to imply that people are dying as a result, either directly or indirectly, of being on the show. These people’s bodies are already breaking down by the time they reach this point, and many are very fragile. Sometimes they’ve already done too much damage, or have too many health issues for weight loss to save them. The people who don’t follow the plan and don’t lose weight are, obviously, even more at risk. My sympathy goes out to Latonya’s friends and loved ones, along with others who have sadly died, but Dr. Nowzardan is not to blame. He is actively trying to save them.
I’m glad to see you didn’t jump on here to immediately judge. I feel for these people. It’s like anorexia in reverse. My mom got down to 82 lbs at age 47. It was horrific. It’s an unhealthy coping mechanism. Nobody wants to be that big. They have a lot
Of self hatred also.