What Fans Of My 600-Lb. Life Really Think Of Dr. Now's Book

In recent years, TLC has gifted viewers with a handful of new shows that focus on weight loss, including "1000-Lb. Sisters." But before Tammy and Amy Slaton came on the scene along with their bariatric surgeon, Dr. Charles Procter, there was Dr. Younan Nowzaradan and his dozens of patients on "My 600-Lb. Life."

Since the show's premiere in 2012, Dr. Now has become a staple figure on TLC with his no-nonsense attitude and never-altering greeting when he walks in the room — "Hello, how y'all doing?" But for the individuals who listen to Dr. Now and follow his 1200-calorie diet, they're able to undergo surgery, lose hundreds of pounds, and reclaim their lives.

Given the success of so many patients, the Houston-based surgeon published "The Scale Does Not Lie, People Do" in January 2019 so that viewers of "My 600-Lb. Life" can get healthier at home. According to Dr. Now (via Instagram), while the book includes his unique diet plan, it also discusses weight gain and loss, how to develop healthier eating habits, and an explanation of the obesity epidemic.

"Obesity is not a choice for people. It's not something that most people can walk their weight off with diet and exercise," he said in an interview with Chron. "It's our own responsibility to understand what the problems are and what the solutions are."

The goal of "The Scale Does Not Lie" is to help its readers take charge of their health. But does it actually work? Let's take a look at what fans really think of Dr. Now's book.

Reviews are in for "The Scale Does Not Lie," and they're ultimately split down the middle. While some readers felt that they learned a lot from its pages, others found it to be a waste of time and money.

A number of fans shared how they lost some weight thanks to Dr. Now's advice. On Reddit, u/ShotMyTatorTots praised the book's recipes and instructions, saying, "I'm no 600 pounder, but this is a good way to prep good meals and practices to be healthy and drop some weight." U/SimmeringSara expressed their excitement over losing 13 pounds in two weeks after purchasing "The Scale Does Not Lie." On Amazon, ranking123456 gave it a five-star rating for its "full descriptions of past bypass operations, the positives and failures."

As for the critics, Amazon reviewer john broschard gave the book two stars for being too repetitive and focusing on uninteresting topics: "You get more information by watching his show [than] in this book. Something on one page is repeated on the next page. Too much on vitamins, surgical procedures, statistics, and not enough on food, what not to eat and what to eat." Reviewer Angelica Whaley, who gave it only one star, described the book as a "disappointment" and commented, "Definitely not worth $24. Every page repeated what was in the previous page and the book was very short." Still, the book currently holds a four-and-a-half star rating on Amazon with over 1,700 reviews, so it's probably safe to say Dr. Now is impacting at least some fans in the way he'd hoped for.