My 600-Lb Life: Where Is Donald Shelton Now?
It's been over a decade since viewers of "My 600-lb Life" spent an episode with Donald Shelton. Featured on Season 1, Episode 3, of the show, Shelton began his weight loss journey at 34 years of age, weighing 675 pounds and using a wheelchair. He sought to lose substantial weight in order to qualify for bariatric surgery. He did so, shedding 285 pounds over the course of the seven years featured on the reality TV episode.
Shelton is one of the success stories of "My 600-lb Life," but unfortunately, he met with some complications following his weight loss surgery. An Express story on Shelton details how the operation led to further weight loss, with Shelton slimming down to 295 pounds thanks to a combination of the operation and continued diet and exercise. But he also suffered from additional mobility issues and even a brief coma, leading to a delayed diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome, which had been affecting him since around 2007.
Due to his mobility issues, Shelton's weight spiked again, reportedly increasing by some 200 pounds. But he hasn't abandoned his healthy lifestyle and seems to be slimming back down.
Shelton looks a lot different than he did on the show
Donald Shelton continues to struggle with numerous health issues, but he seems to be doing better than he was during much of his time on "My 600-lb Life." The Express story calls him "unrecognisable" in recent social media images "thanks to his weight loss as well as the addition of a thick beard," which you can see in the photo above, purportedly from his now-deleted Instagram account, via Distractify.
On the personal life front, Shelton is reported to still be single and not actively seeking a girlfriend, but his health issues don't stop him from living a somewhat active life. In 2022, Shelton's cousin Kelli Martin initiated a fundraising effort to help him and his mother, Mary, replace their handicap-accessible van. "The handicap van [Mary] has now has been a blessing but it's not as reliable as it used to be," the GoFundMe post reads. Unfortunately, the campaign has failed to raise anything close to its $40,000 goal.
Additional details about Shelton's post-"My 600-lb Life" are scarce due to his having decreased his social media output. But hopefully, he is continuing to stay healthy and not falling into any of his old bad habits.