A morbidly obese woman weighing 704 pounds has revealed how a traumatic childhood signaled the start of a lifelong battle with her weight that eventually left her bed-bound and with maggots growing in the folds of her skin.
Lisa Fleming, 49, who appears on this week’s episode of TLC reality series My 600lb Life, has shared that she started out as a ‘regular child, having fun, doing things, playing’.
Growing up with five brothers, she admitted her dad spoiled her and constantly told her he loved her while her mother struggled to verbalize her affection, cooking Fleming whatever she wanted to show she cared instead.
Breaking point: Lisa Fleming, 49, who tipped the scaled at 704 pounds has undergone weight loss surgery after she found maggots in the folds of her skin
Battle: Appearing on Wednesday night’s episode of My 660-Lb. Life, Lisa shared how a traumatic childhood signaled the start of a lifelong battle with her weight
Girl power: Growing up the only girl in a household of boys, Lisa admitted that her father used to spoil her as a child
‘That’s how she showed it, by cooking,’ she added.
However, Lisa, who is now hoping to get weight loss surgery, added that food was also used as a punishment.
‘I remember this one time, I asked for some cake and she wouldn’t give it to me,’ she explained. ‘I didn’t understand so I just stuck my finger in and rubbed all the icing off the cake.
‘My mama caught me and said, “I know ain’t nobody done this but you,” and she sat me down and said I had to eat the whole cake but after an hour my dad came and threw it in the trash can. He always saved me.’
Lisa also revealed that her parents’ divorce when she was nine-years-old added to the trauma and during this time, the only thing that made her feel better was eating.
‘Ice cream was my friend at night. I had my own bowl, I had my own spoon and I kept it hid in my room until my mom found it one day, but that didn’t even stop me.’
Comfort food: When Lisa’s parents divorced when she was nine, she used food to comfort herself, sneaking snacks like ice-cream into her bedroom
Feeder: Although her mother used to cook her whatever she wanted as a child, Lisa’s problems didn’t start until later and by the age of 11, she weighed 120 pounds
Big operation: Seven paramedics were needed to remove Lisa from her bed, down a ramp and onto an ambulance ahead of weight loss surgery seven hours away
By the age of 11 she weighed 120 pounds.
Lisa said she knew it was time to make a change when she became completely bedridden and eventually found maggots in the folds of her skin.
And for the first time in years, she was able left the same bed her mother died in due to obesity to make a six-hour trip to get weight loss surgery, meeting with expert Dr. Younan Nowzaradan in Houston in order to ask for his help.
Appearing in a preview clip for her episode of My 600lb Life, Lisa admits: ‘I’m tired, I’m hungry, and I’m not looking forward to having the paramedics move me out of this bed.’
Seven paramedics were needed to remove the woman from her bed, down a ramp and onto an ambulance.
They also had to use her bed sheets to help life Fleming out of the bed.
‘The paramedics have to reinforce the ramp they’ll use to get me out of the house,’ she admitted. ‘I can’t believe it’s come to this.
‘But at least I’m doing something about it before it gets to be too late.’