Where Is Ryan Barkdoll From My 600-Lb Life Now?

TLC's hit reality show "My 600-lb Life" has been a source of eye-opening reality and inspiration for many. The long-running series focuses on morbidly obese individuals overcoming their many adversities in order to lose weight, with help from bariatric surgeon, Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, also known as Dr. Now. While the show has seen its fair share of success stories, there are also a number of participants who ultimately fall through, with some even resulting in tragedy. One of the most harrowing stories regarding one of the show's individuals is that of Ryan Barkdoll, who appears in Episode 7, Season 10 of the show. 

Barkdoll led a difficult life, never truly knowing his real father and having to deal with a neglectful stepfather throughout his childhood. This would lead to him abusing drugs and alcohol on top of overeating. Even when he would eventually situate himself with a solid job and place to stay, Barkdoll's weight got in the way, and his boss fired him for being too obese to work. Barkdoll's addiction spiraled from there, and he became practically immobile, growing to weigh 740 pounds, a weight so massive that Dr. Now's scale couldn't even properly weigh him. Dr. Now noted that Barkdoll's journey is likely to be a very difficult one, as his mother and her new boyfriend have largely enabled him throughout his life. But was he able to push through the odds and make it work? 

Ryan Barkdoll's weight loss journey was an inconsistent one, to say the least. With many of his visits with Dr. Now having to be done virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it's harder to track Barkdoll's progress and he often missed his calls. We learned that Barkdoll has been having cheat days, where he regularly orders junk food to appease his cravings. He was able to keep this hidden from his mother and her boyfriend for some time, often ordering his food while they sleep. However, he was caught in the act one day, infuriating his mother while her boyfriend assured Barkdoll that they are willing to help him through anything. 

By the time Barkdoll had relocated from Montana over to Houston, Texas to be closer to Dr. Now, it seemed abundantly clear that Barkdoll has chosen to quit the plan. He continued to dodge Dr. Now's calls and eventually lost his apartment in Houston. The end of the episode sees Barkdoll surrounded by trays full of junk food, claiming that everything he will be fine and he'll continue to go through with the plan, an ending that many fans have found horrifically tragic. With no social media presence or desire to be in the limelight, it's hard to tell what Barkdoll has been up to since the episode aired in December 2021, but we hope he will be able to move past his pain one way or another.