Christina Philips From 'My 600-lb-Life' — Her Remarkable Life Today

Oct 26, 2021 by apost team

The TLC reality series “My 600-lb Life” follows the story of those struggling with their weight and the hardships they face due to being categorized as obese. Each episode follows a year in the life of one of these individuals and documents their attempts to lose weight. Some of these individuals are later featured in update episodes where viewers are given the chance to see just how far they have come in their health journey.

Christina Phillips was featured on the second season of “My 600-lb pound Life” back in 2014. She started her journey weighing more than 700 pounds at the age of 22. Phillips’ health was at an all-time low, as she was bedridden and hadn’t even left her house in two years. After becoming so dependent on others to help with her everyday activities and her livelihood, Phillips knew that she needed to make a change. Her journey wasn’t easy, but she knew she needed to push forward with trying to lose weight in a healthy manner and take the necessary steps to regain control over her life.

Since her time on the reality show, Phillips has made a lot of changes in her life for the betterment of both her physical and mental health. Her appearance has drastically changed, and she has also been able to celebrate some incredible milestones in her personal life. Even though her journey has been full of challenges, it has been incredibly inspiring to follow. Read on to find out more about Phillips’ journey and what she looks like today.

How It All Began

"My 600-Lb Life" started airing in 2012 on TLC. The show had a simple premise: morbidly obese patients were filmed throughout their journey to lose weight. The original series had only four participants, who were filmed over a period of several years, from 2004 to 2011. The show tried to be a mix of reality TV and documentary, explaining medical procedures that could help morbidly obese patients and glimpsing at the underlying problems behind the reason for such astounding weight gain.

This first miniseries had a great reception, so TLC decided to renew the program and go forward with shooting another series. However, some things had to change. Following the next set of participants for seven years of their life was considered not feasible, so starting with season two, participants were only filmed for one year. In later series, filming time went down even further, with participants only being filmed for as little as six months.

Interestingly enough, while the time the film crew accompanied the patients decreased, the on-air time increased. TLC went from showing one-hour-long episodes to showing two-hour-long ones. Special recap episodes were added that summarized not only previous events but also added additional facts and footage previously not used for the episodes.

A recurring figure and important cast member of the show is Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, a specialized surgeon tasked with the care and treatment of the obese patients. The show routinely shortens his name, referring to him as Dr. Now. During the show's second season, viewers could follow along Christina Phillips's journey.

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At the starting time of season two, Phillips weighed roughly 640 pounds. Over the course of the filming, her weight would even rise slightly higher, clocking in at 708 pounds at the maximum. This put Phillips well into the category of morbidly obese and at significant risk to her health.

Like all the other participants, Phillips struggled with her daily life. She was a 22-year-old woman at the time and should have been enjoying her youth and the best time of her life. Instead, she struggled to walk even a few feet inside her own home. As Newsner reports, the simple act of getting up out of bed and walking into the kitchen was already a challenge for her. Even according to herself at the time, she felt as if she "was going to to die."

She was unable to take part in any kind of normal life. Keeping a job was impossible; keeping her own home clean on her own was impossible. Even simple joys such as taking a walk with her family or loved ones were out of the question. Phillips was deeply unhappy in life and honestly looked for help and ways to reduce her weight.

During her episode on the show, we learn that her weight gain had started slowly and as a young child. As viewers were introduced to Phillips and her family situation, it quickly became clear that part of the reason why she had such trouble losing weight was her mother and husband at the time enabling her. In a short but poignant clip taken from the episode - which has been seen more than six million times by now - Phillips visits Dr. Nowzaradan to document her weight and talk about the progression of her treatment. 

The clip shows Phillips commenting that she feels she must have lost some weight, as her appetite was down - or so it seemed to her. Her husband Zack and her mother were quick to chime in with agreement and reassurance. Unfortunately, as viewers also find out, the family has mostly been eating fast food over the last few days.

When they reach Dr. Nowzaradan's office and Phillips moves unto the scales, the sad realization happens: she has not lost weight; she gained 17 pounds. Of course, the family is shocked and disheartened. Phillips can be seen rallying, mentioning that the weight might have been just excess water. Dr. Nowzaradan is quick to shut this train of thought down, stating: "It's not water. For that, you'd have to drink at least 300 gallons of water."

Phillips nods, crestfallen. Her mother chimes in to explain why the family did not have time to cook healthy meals. She is quickly and quite strongly shut down by Dr. Nowzaradan.

"You know, that's very typical," the surgeon and obesity specialist explains. "When you got an enabler here, when I ask you a question, the enabler would answer. So, why don't you let her answer?"

This clip shows some part of the problem many people with extreme obesity face and Phillips also had to overcome: family and friends who act as enablers. It is also a recurring theme on the show. Family and friends can turn into enablers for many different reasons. Some want to help but do so in the wrong ways, such as cooking for the obese person but using the wrong ingredients or cooking too much.

Others see the obese person struggling with following their diet, becoming very unhappy in the progress. Often, these enablers will give small "rewards" for following the diet, such as a sweet snack or a "cheat meal" that doesn't follow the diet, because they think a few snacks won't do any harm, and they hate to see their loved ones hurting.

However, this behavior is not helpful. It actually makes it harder for people trying to lose weight to be successful at it. In the clip, Dr. Nowzaradan explained so as well, ending with:

"We need to separate Christina from her enabler, so we're gonna put her in the hospital."

In an interview with PEOPLE from 2017, Dr. Nowzaradan explained that this part of his job is one of the most important but also toughest:

"Families can either be enablers or encouragers. Having a supportive family for patients on a weight loss journey is an important component to their success. If they don't have that, it's almost impossible for them to be successful in the long term, unless they remove those people from their environment. So they either have to change their dynamic with those enablers or separate from them if they want to succeed."

In Christina Phillips's case, the treatment was a success. However, dieting and alter on exercise alone did not do the trick. She also entered therapy to understand what drove her to overeat and work at the underlying problems. Dr. Nowzaradan also explains that for these severe cases of obesity, psychological problems and struggles are always part of the package.

Speaking to PEOPLE, he said:

"Severe obesity is a complex physical and psychological condition with many components. Not realizing how much of their struggle is psychological and not just physical can be the biggest obstacle for change with patients. Many refuse to admit they have any emotional compulsions or compulsive psychological disorders driving them to overeat."

In Phillips's case, part of her journey towards a healthy life was also divorcing her then-husband Zack. During the course of the show, viewers and Phillips herself realized that Zack was her biggest enabler. At some point, Looper states, he even stated that he liked the fact that his wife was dependent on him for daily life. In the later recap episode of the series' spin-off "My 600-lb Life - Where Are They Now?" Phillips explains that her relationship with her former husband had a big, negative influence on her behavior: "I was in a really bad relationship. And that definitely, I think, has had a negative impact on me."

Since back in 2014, Phillips's life has changed a lot. She is finally able to lead a normal life and pursue her happiness. In an interview with PEOPLE from 2017, Phillips explains how much her life has changed for the better following her time on the show: 

"It's been pretty amazing having my life back. I'm able to do so much more now. It's pretty great. Before I couldn't walk eight feet without feeling like I was gonna die. Now, I could do just about anything I put my mind to."

In the same interview, Phillips also explains how the most simple things in life give her the most satisfaction and happiness.

"The simple things in life are enjoyable to me. I know that seems silly but it's the honest answer. Just walking and being able to go to the park with my nephew. [It's] the most simple thing like taking him to the park or going shopping or driving.

I'm so much more happier now. Being able to wake up in the morning and get out of bed without feeling like I'm gonna die, I thank God every morning for that. I am so blessed to have a second chance at life."

Speaking to Women's Health Magazine in the same year, Phillips explained in detail how she manages to keep her weight and stay healthy:

"I stay on track by staying away from simple carbs, such as soda, sugar, chips, and processed foods. I make sure I log everything I eat so that I'm staying accountable as well. I also meal prep most of my foods so everything is ready, and I'm not mindlessly grazing. Making sure I get at least 10,000 steps per day and going to the gym at least four times per week has also helped me maintain my weight.

My life has changed so much since the weight loss! I can do things I never imagined possible when I weighed more than 700 pounds. I've been able to try indoor skydiving and I can keep up with my 3-year-old nephew, too! I can walk miles without getting tired. And that's a long way from when just a few feet made me feel like I was dying."

And that's not all that has changed in her life. After she divorced her former husband and recovered from the abusive aspects of their relationship, love found its way back to her life.

In 2016, the Daily Mail reported that she had entered a relationship and moved in with Shane, a long-time childhood friend of hers that she had known for more than ten years. Sadly, it was also reported that she still feels a deep shame for her body, sometimes feeling as if she had lost no weight at all. "It's weird when I was 700lbs I couldn't even get out of the house, but now that I can I still don't feel normal," she is quoted as saying.

Shane, her new boyfriend, helps her overcome her anxiety as best as he can. Despite the fact that she feels a need to hide her arms and legs, Shane will prod her to leave the house with him and spent time out and about.

Not only can Phillips now enjoy life in her new, healthy body, she has also found a good partner to spend her life with! A surprise Facebook post from 2020 revealed that Phillips was in fact pregnant with their first child. The post featured her nephew wearing a shirt that says "My aunt has my new best friend in her belly" and Phillips herself holding up an ultrasound image while she smiles broadly. Although she has not posted any official statements or announcements since then, her Instagram page was updated with the info "Mommy to Ethan 2/3/21" so it's safe to assume that her pregnancy progressed normally. Congratulations to Phillips for turning her life around, finding love and having a healthy baby boy!

What do you think about Christina Phillips and what she looks like today? Were you surprised to find out how much weight she has lost? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on to your family members and friends, too!