Over the years, participants of the “My 600-lb Life” race have opened up about their treatment on the show. If the participants are compensated and their medical expenses covered (via Starcasam), the work to be done is nevertheless exhausting. Season 3’s Amber Rachdi called out the show in a 2017 Facebook comment. When asked if she would be featured in the show’s spin-off series “My 600-Lb Life: Where Are They Now?”, she replied, “With all due respect to the people who make this show their livelihood, it was a crummy experience.” She went on to say, “They thought we’d be difficult and were pretty forceful with their demands? It didn’t feel right or respectful or mutually beneficial to work with production.” Rachdi concluded that she was not interested in returning to that kind of dynamic.

One of the show’s most memorable contestants, Steven Assanti of the Assanti Brothers, recorded a now-deleted Facebook video (via InTouch Weekly) where he answers a fan’s question about the show’s legitimacy. Assanti responds, “Is this show real? Yes. Does it play? No. Is it exhausting? Yes. Very. So exhausting to the point that there are days when I don’t even want to not film.” He continues on the difficulties of filming, saying: “I try to avoid being filmed, but the film crew – especially one in particular – are so persistent that they will keep hitting. at the door, and knocking on the door, and knocking on the door until you can’t take it anymore… It’s just a lot of work.”