Obese man dies during intense weight loss procedure for reality TV show

Robert was being filmed for American reality TV show ‘My 600lb Life’ on the TLC network

A 41-year-old man from Forked River, New Jersey weighing over 380 kilogram has passed away while undertaking an intense weight loss method for a reality TV show.

Robert Buchel was being filmed for American show ‘My 600lb Life’ on the TLC network, with the episode due to air this weekend.

600 pound (lb) is roughly 272 kg.

He told his fiancée Kathryn Lemanski that he was afraid that he wouldn't make it through the night before his death as he was facing an unbearable pain at the time.

The Daily Mail quoted Kathryn as saying: He told me: 'I don't think I'll make it through the night. I love you and I always will.'

He was on the weight loss plan for five months and dropped over 153 kilogram in that time.



Robert’s fiancée Kathryn Lemanski forced him to move to Houston, Texas, so that he could be closely monitored by the bariatric surgeon Dr Younan Nowzaradan.

Robert was rescued by paramedics after being unable to help himself after falling over during his journey to Houston.

Robert regained his ability to walk and was down to 250 kilogram just in months. He also undertook surgery to remove the lymphedema mass on the right of his body.

However, this left him with a crippling addiction to painkillers.

He was advised not to take pills by his doctor but Robert felt depressed and couldn’t stand the pain leading him to tear his stitches to get more painkillers.



Kathryn expressed how difficult the period was saying: “It's like a switch has been flipped. He's been nasty since the surgery because he can't get the drugs.”

Robert supposedly refused to exercise despite being back in rehab.

According to the Mail, Robert and Kathryn were to get married next year.

“I lost my best friend and the person I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with,” said Kathryn.

Article originally appeared in The Independent.