The Most Harrowing Part Of My 600-Lb Life Isn't What You Think

When it comes to the world of reality TV, many shows like "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" and the shows from "The Real Housewives" franchise cover the everyday drama of the rich and famous. But TLC's "My 600-lb Life" is the complete opposite.

Since its premiere in 2012, the long-running series has chronicled dozens of regular people who desperately want and need bariatric surgery from Dr. Younan Nowzaradan. Most are almost fully bedridden and require help from loved ones to complete simple tasks. However, their food addiction prevents them from making necessary lifestyle and wellness changes on their own.

There are a number of harrowing aspects to "My 600-lb Life," including the number of private moments filmed for all to see. These individuals are shown on-camera ordering and then devouring enough food to feed an entire family, struggling to fit into the shower, and even sometimes having trouble using the bathroom. However, there's another disturbing part of the hit TLC series, one that those on the other side of the camera are often forced to experience.

For those who appear on "My 600-lb Life," it's not an easy journey as their eating habits, relationships, and bodies are exposed to complete strangers on the other side of the screen. But for the producers and camera crew tasked with capturing such sensitive footage, this job comes with its own set of challenges.

It's no secret that the majority of "My 600-lb Life" participants struggle with mobility. Therefore, it makes sense that their homes might not be the cleanest. Yet sometimes, according to a former camera operator for the show, the living spaces are downright unsanitary. On Reddit, when asked to share a disturbing memory from their time on the job, u/skeeterou reflected on one woman's small, two-bedroom apartment that was full of dog feces. "Instead of cleaning up their dog s*** ... they would put plants on top of it," they wrote. "We had to use a mentholatum oil on our upper lips to withstand the stench."

When the family began the process of moving to a new location, u/skeeterou reflected on how the crew also endured tons of creepy, crawly things that emerged from the grandmother's bed. "When they went to remove the bed and flipped it over, thousands of bugs scattered out of the bed all over the room," they recalled. "The 80-something year old woman was sleeping on a bed that was infested with roaches and god knows what other bugs."