What happened to Robert on 600

‘My 600-lb Life’ is a TLC original that was supposed to be a five-part mini-series, but it gained so much popularity in a short amount of time that it now has more than 100 episodes spanning eight seasons. Following the journey of obese people as they battle their long-term food addiction and lose their weight with the help of Dr. Now, this series has managed to spread joy and inspiration across the globe for many years. Sadly, not everyone who has been featured on the show is able to take the strain of the challenging lifestyle changes and strict diet plans. And such was the case of season 6’s Robert Buchel.

Robert Buchel’s My 600-lb Life Journey

The 41-year-old Forked River, New Jersey native, weighed 842 lbs when he appeared on ‘My 600-lb Life. His episode synopsis on the show states: “With the support of his fiancee, Kathryn, Robert turns to Dr. Nowzaradan in a final, desperate attempt to save his life. He tries to reverse a lifelong food addiction that has left him bed-bound, saddled with grotesque lymphedema, and nearly 900-lbs.”

Robert, who was completely immobile due to his massive frame, was dependent on the people closest to him to take care of him, and although he appreciated all that they did, he didn’t like it. “To carry all this weight is physically draining, mentally, emotionally taxing,” he said in his episode. “It’s not a pain or life I’d wish on anyone because I can’t do anything. I can’t do anything for anyone — especially myself, so I am completely dependent on my fiancee.”

He admitted that his dependency on food to feel happy and comfortable started when he was just a kid. He started overeating at first when he was six years old after his parents opened a fried chicken store, but when a neighbor molested him three years after that, food was his only solace. By the time he was a teenager, he had weighed more than 200 lbs. Robert even revealed that after his brother passed away from a heart attack when he was 19, he became depressed, and his addiction worsened to such an extent that he could never recover.

Wanting to get better for Kathryn and determined to make a change, Robert reached out to Dr. Now for guidance and moved to Texas to begin his weight loss journey.

Robert Buchel Death

After some initial trouble adjusting to Dr. Now’s program, Robert worked hard to shed his weight. In his first month itself, he lost an impressive 124 lbs, following which he went on to lose 93 more in a rehab center and began walking again. With further help from exercise and diet, he lost around 80 lbs more and was able to undergo surgery to get his lymphedema masses removed. With everything combined, Robert lost a total of 340 lbs, making his weight drop to 502.

Unfortunately, after his surgery, Robert became severely depressed, started refusing his exercises, and his unacknowledged pain killer addiction became too much to handle. He even tried ripping up his stitches in the hopes of getting some pills again. Ultimately, on November 15, 2017, he suffered a fatal heart attack in his sleep and passed away.

“He told me, “I don’t think I’ll make it through the night. I love you and I always will,”” said his fiancee, Kathryn, on the show. “I lost my best friend and the person I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with.” Even Dr. Now expressed his grief about losing Robert and called him a fighter for being able to battle his addictions for as long as he did.

One of the most tragic stories on "My 600-Lb Life" involved the tale of Robert Buchel. When he went to see Dr. Now in Houston, Texas, for weight loss help, he tipped the scales at 903 pounds and was feeling more than a little desperate. "I feel sometimes I can't take or live this life one more minute," he said, per Newsweek. "To carry all this weight is physically draining — mentally, emotionally taxing. It's not a pain or life I wish on anyone, because I can't do anything. I can't do anything for anyone — especially myself."

Fortunately, with Dr. Now's assistance, The New Jersey native lost over 300 pounds and even got lymphedema removal surgery (an operation "to repair damaged or removed lymph nodes so that lymphatic fluid no longer builds up under the skin," according to The University of Kansas Health System). Unfortunately, though, Robert's story has a tragic ending, as he died during the filming of the show in 2017. Here's are the sad details behind his death.

Robert Buchel was the first 600-Lb Life star to die while filming

TLC/YouTube

On Nov. 15, 2017, Robert Buchel died in a Houston hospital when he was still filming "My 600-Lb Life," making him the first person to die while participating in the series. He was only 41 years old. 

At the time, his fiancé Kathryn told the Asbury Park Press that she was being harassed by fans of the show, and even blamed for his death. "People wrote straight up that I'm [a] murderer and it was my fault that he's dead and my fault that he got the way he was, and I have to deal with that," Kathryn said. "The story is so much more complex, and intricate than the show let on. A food addict acts the same way as a drug addict." She also revealed the cause of death was a heart attack and noted how he struggled with painkiller addiction after getting lymphedema removal surgery. Robert seemed desperate to get more painkillers in his final days, refusing to walk or exercise, which set his progress back. "It's like a flip has been switched," Kathryn said on the show, per the Daily Mail. "He's been nasty since the surgery because he can't get the drugs."

TLC also spoke out about the death, saying in a statement it was "deeply saddened" by the events. It added, "We are grateful to his family who were gracious enough to let us continue to share his brave story with our viewers. Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult time."

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