What Happened to Melissa M. From 'My 600-lb Life'? Everyone Is Rooting for Her

It can be difficult to watch My 600-lb Life, a TLC series that follows intensely overweight folks who have gotten to the point where they decide they need medical treatment. Often times, the people who are profiled have food addiction issues that stem from untreated mental health problems and traumas. Tonight's episode, "Melissa M's Story" follows a 36-year-old Florida native who decides she needs to lose weight if she wants to live past her 30s. 

"Melissa M's Story" did a deep dive into Melissa Marescot's past, and predictably, the 36-year-old has grappled with a lot of emotional pain. She first started seeing food as a source of comfort when her mom became verbally abusive to her. When trying to coax Melissa to forgive her, her mom would give her a heaping pile of food — this is how Melissa became addicted to eating. When Melissa was little, her father and best friend, abandoned her, making things even worse.

But life didn't get easier for Melissa, and she resorted to food to make her feel better.

When Melissa was 15, she got pregnant and decided to get an abortion, and the psychological toll it took was immense. Again, she turned to food for comfort. Unemployment, and then ultimately the loss of both her parents and a failed relationship drove her to keep eating. Melissa weighed 592 pounds when her episode was filmed. However, unlike a lot of My 600-lb Life stars, Melissa didn't need daily assistance, and was able to walk on her own, and eventually flew to Houston to meet Dr. Now.

Likely due to an NDA with TLC, most people who are profiled in My 600-lb Life aren't super forthcoming about their current status. Melissa often re-posts videos to her Facebook page, but the last photo we have of her is from 2018, so it's unclear what she looks like today, or if she was able to lose enough weight for surgery. The last we know of Melissa's progress was that she lost a total of 150 pounds, thanks to Dr. Now's rigid diet and exercise regimen, and regularly seeing a therapist. 

Melissa got down to 440 pounds by the end of the episode, and her collective tenacity and determination was impressive. While Melissa did fail her diet a few times, she worked hard to keep powering through. However, when Dr. Now asked Melissa to move to Houston (where he is located) so that he could monitor her ongoing process, Melissa refused. She didn't want to give up her life in Florida; she had started dating again (a man named Elijah) and seeing her friends, which is understandable.

“I’m not going to stop or give up until I’m living my best life yet and I get to where I need. I’m going to do it," Melissa said in her episode. Considering all the major positive changes she's already made for herself, we are totally hopeful to see photos of a healthier and happier Melissa on social media soon. 

Watch My 600-lb Life every Wednesday at 8 p.m.EST on TLC.