A morbidly obese couple who met at a weight loss clinic over a decade ago is seeking gastric bypass surgery in hopes of having a ‘normal’ relationship after their weight skyrocketed to a combined total of 1,256lbs.
Eleven years after they fell in love at bariatric rehab, Lee, 42, and Rena, 39, weigh 714lbs and 542lbs, respectively, and they admit their favorite thing to do together is eat. However, the Missouri couple’s weight has gotten so out of control, they have to rely on Lee’s sister Cassie to come over and take care of them.
In a preview clip for Tuesday night’s premiere of the Lifetime reality series My 600lb Life, Rena says ‘it’s embarrassing’ that she can Lee can’t even take care of themselves anymore.
Out of control: Lee, 42, and Rena, 39, from Missouri, weigh 714lbs and 542lbs, respectively
Quitting: Lee and Rena first met at bariatric rehab, but they checked out of the clinic because their romantic relationship was forbidden
Start of it all: Lee (pictured) says Rena’s brother was his roommate at the weight loss clinic, and she would come over every day and help them
‘The only reason we are even able to survive right now is because Lee’s sister comes over every day and helps us,’ she admits.
Rena first met Lee when she and her older brother Michael decided to check into a weight loss clinic together.
They were using food to cope with their problems, and he weighed over 600lbs.
‘I remember meeting Rena for the first time,’ Lee recalls. ‘Her brother was my roommate at the bariatric clinic. Rena would come in every day and visit Michael, and she would talk to me.’
Throwback: Lee admits he used to get ‘kind of jealous’ because Rena was always tending to her brother and making sure he had everything he needed when she came into their room
Big decision: After they were told they needed to stop dating or leave the clinic, they discharged themselves
Trouble: Over the past 11 years, their weight has spiraled out of control
Lee admits he used to get ‘kind of jealous’ because Rena was always tending to her brother and making sure he had everything he needed when she came into their room.
‘I got to [the point] where I would follow her around. We were like Bonnie and Clyde,’ he says.
Rena says that Lee was a ‘sweet guy,’ and they they started spending a lot of time together until the ultimately became an ‘item at the clinic.’
‘That broke the rules there, so we either had to stop dating or leave,’ she says, and Lee notes they would get in trouble for holding hands or showing any kind of affection to each other.
constant struggle: Lee can barely leave their bed, and Rena is getting to the point that she can no longer take care of him
Embarrassing: The couple has to rely on Lee’s sister Cassie to come over and take care of them
‘We decided we just wanted to be together. We wanted a relationship,’ Lee says, and Rena adds: ‘We loved each other, and we’ve stayed together over the past 11 years since leaving the clinic.
However, they’ve both continued to struggle with food and their health is only getting worse. Lee can barely leave his bed and relies on Rena to take care of him, but her weight is rising so rapidly that she won’t be able to take care of him for long.
‘Rena has done an excellent job of taking care of Lee, but within the last two to three years she has went downhill so much that I have to do it,’ Lee’s sister Cassie tells the camera.
As their weight continues to spiral out of control, Rena and Lee make the decision to travel from Missouri to Texas to see weight loss surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan in hopes they both qualify for potentially life-saving gastric bypass surgery.