My 600-Lb Life: Where Is Chad Dean Now?
Success stories aren't always a given on TLC's "My 600-lb Life." Therefore, when one of Dr. Younan Nowzaradan's patients thrives in his program, it's rather touching to witness. One such success story is one of Dr. Now's patients from Season 4, Chad Dean. A 42-year-old husband and father from Maryland, Dean weighs 701 pounds at the start of his wellness journey. He can no longer work as a truck driver or help his wife Ayesha around the house and knows he needs to make a change.
Dean, determined to no longer be a burden to his family, puts in the work to get healthy. By the end of his Season 5 "My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now?" update, he weighs 278 pounds, is back working as a truck driver, and achieves a longtime dream: purchasing a motorcycle.
Post-TLC fame, Dean is maintaining his progress. In a 2019 interview with Men's Health, he said, "Never in a million years did I ever expect myself to be smaller at the age of 46 than I was at the age of 18. Right now, from what my life used to be, I'm in heaven." Though truck driving was a huge factor in Dean's weight gain, he's found ways to prevent himself from giving in to cravings on the road. He told Men's Health, "I have dumbbells in my truck's chair, and as I'm driving down the road, I'll do curls with my arms — about 500 a day."
Chad Dean released a memoir about his wellness journey
Following his "My 600-lb Life" success, Chad Dean released "I'm In Here Somewhere: Memoir of a Food Addict," written by Celeste Prater. Dean told The Ashley that he was inspired to do so after receiving the same feedback from numerous viewers: his story inspired them to get healthy. "That motivated me to spill out my life in the hopes that I can inspire at least one more person to save their own life like I did," he said. "My greatest hope is that someone will recognize their issues and stop from ever tipping over into morbid obesity."
Dean stressed that "I'm In Here Somewhere" doesn't spill any behind-the-scenes details on TLC. Rather, it chronicles his process of recognizing that he had a problem and how he worked to fix it. He urged others in similar situations to not turn a blind eye and to take action immediately. "Trust me, it's not fun to pay the piper later," Dean wrote. "Yes, I survived, but I have the scars on the inside and out. Stop the cycle now and live!"
The memoir appears to be resonating with the masses, boasting a 4.7-star rating on Amazon.