1000lb Sisters on TLC

Some of you may be familiar with the Slaton sisters from Youtube. They got their own show called the 1000lb Sisters on TLC. There is a bit of the sideshow happening here, as they are poor and uneducated to the max and extreme in appearance. Tammy is over 600lbs, while Amy is around 400lbs.

Amy who is the smaller of the two got married, wants a baby [she should consider what kind of life the child will have] and was able to get weight loss surgery and lose 100lbs. Tammy didn't lose enough weight to qualify for weight loss surgery and remains superobese.

I always wonder about these two especially with Tammy if there is some sort of "overgrowth" genetic disorder like Momo's Syndrome. Tammy's extreme forehead ["frontal bossing]" and eye problems actually go with description's of Momo's syndrome I have seen on television and elsewhere. Were they ever diagnosed?  This could cause metabolic problems or even satiety issues to the extreme. I don't say this to insult them, it just bothers me how fat people go untreated or undiagnosed and people mock them for their appearance all over youtube and other boards, and the signs of some kind of genetic disorder are extreme in my opinion. The rampant ableism is terrible. I always wanted to see a genetic counselor myself to figure out why I have so many problems, that go beyond being fat like becoming almost deaf.

Momo Syndrome

Momo Syndrome and frontal bossing.

Update: I watched these shows and the sister's claim a lot of their medical problems including Amy's eye problems are from toxoplasmosis. This is a parasitic infection that can be caught from cat feces.

Supposedly their mother had it and didn't know it. I don't know how she managed to have it twice for two pregnancies and not know it.

The family was extremely poor. It can cause brain and eye problems in an infected fetus. I wouldn't doubt there could be a variety of genetic problems included with this. I don't think Tammy and Amy's bodies operate the same way as others though obviously there were food problems displayed.

It is interesting to me that there is a major tie to obesity with toxoplasmosis.

"Toxoplasmosis, a global disease, and in excess of billion people are expected to have Toxoplasma infection. Toxoplasma is associated with anorexia or obesity as organisms alter and reside in inflamed adipose tissues (Carter, 2013). Excessive weight gain is reported in infected pregnant women compared with uninfected individuals (Kankova et al., 2010; Flegr, 2013), as well as in a feto-maternal toxoplasmosis model (Oz and Tobin, 2012; Oz, 2014). Toxoplasma infected animals had increased weight gain and atrophy of myenteric neurons of the jejunum (Hermes-Uliana et al., 2011). Obesity has become a cosmopolitan syndrome and poorly understood pathogenesis with a potential link to toxoplasmosis. Other toxoplasmosis complications are gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, diabetes, retinochoroiditis, and encephalitis."

So the scientists think this could be wide spread? Maybe an answer about the obesity epidemic. I grew up with cats always have to change cat litter as a kid, but am allergic now and avoid them like the plague.

My opinion of watching this show, is it is like a major carnival side show. America laughs at the "slow" fat people who are put on display for the average joe or jane to feel better about themselves. The sisters are shown pigging out on very high sugar and fat food. They live in Kentucky. This show is basically the marriage of 600lb life with Honey Boo Boo.
Have you ever noticed you never see an intellectual fat person on TV? They are all portrayed as slow. You will never see an adult fat book worm on TV except maybe a kid on a movie who gets bullied by other kids.


Obesity in the USA often is tied to low income. This is a reality for the Slaton sister's. It is for me. Had my usual visit to the store, where I had to put too many fruits and vegetables back due to the cost though I managed to end up with some tomatoes, banana and peppers. The sisters are probably more economically secure now, and live in a very small town where their disability checks probably go a lot further, but you can see the edges of poverty all through out their story.

Tammy does seem to have a very low IQ, and her sister is smarter, and more motivated. The sisters do watch out for each other and have each other's back and it is commendable how much Amy has helped Tammy thought Tammy often is abrasive and angry. Amy is married, while Tammy seems to have involved herself with a married man who is using her.

Amy loses around 100lbs from her weight loss surgery at the end of the season and goes from 406lbs to 306. Tammy is around 608lbs and loses down to around 560 or so. I am not a supporter of weight loss surgery. I have seen too many die from it, and regain all the weight and more. The success rate is around 5 percent. Lipedema and other endocrine problems seem to complicate having it work in people. I don't know if Amy will be one of the 5 percent who can maintain it for long term or if she will lose more weight. Tammy did not qualify or lose weight fast enough to get weight loss surgery though she could later.

Their mother seems extremely critical and the family as a whole seems to have bad weight and other health problems. Some parents do a disservice to their children breeding at all. I would include my own in that equation. Some bullies have said things to me online making fun of my bad genetics. They aren't wrong about that point. The DNA roulette came up snake eyes for me, and did for Amy and Tammy as well, with the added parasitic disease and poverty adding to their problems.

My father had hypogonadism which means he wasn't supposed to have children at all. Nature tried to steer that choice but medical science intervened. Amy should not have a child, she keeps talking about. I know some may say to me, don't act like the eugenics people and yeah you may have a point. However obesity brings such terrible suffering. I was mostly infertile but I had thoughts about this issue, knowing I never wanted to have a child suffer severe obesity. Maybe Amy's future child will inherit Michael's weight and be more fortunate. One hopes.

 The sister's were motivated enough to have their youtube channel for years, and I saw it years ago. They would do cooking and eating and make up tips. Tammy almost died of severe health problems several times and ended up in a nursing home for one short duration. They did achieve some fame. Sadly from what I could tell online, this was more a notorious brand of fame, where Tammy's forehead became the object of many jokes, and both sisters were seen as extreme, and to be laughed at though they videos also showed their close relationship and sense of humor and you can see those things in the show as well.

I do have uncomfortable feelings about these shows as fat people are always presented in a certain way. We have the perky narcissism of Whitney and we have the "side-show" Honey Boo Boo, mocking the poor and fat for fun and profit aspect of this show.