A man who has embarked on a dramatic weight loss regime has died after suffering a heart attack. At his heaviest, Robert Buchel weighed a whopping 842 pounds (60 stone 2 pounds/381kg) and appeared on the TLC programme My 600lb Life.
The 41-year-old from New Jersey died in November last year while filming was still taking place. His episode will air for the first time this week.
When he first checked in with the doctors, they put him on a strict plan and he lost 124lbs (8 stone 12 pounds/56kg) in the first month. After five months, Robert had stripped 340 lbs (24 stone 4 pounds/154kg) from his body.
Speaking on the programme, Robert said: "First thing when I get up in the morning is I feel blessed and shocked at the same time because it's almost not believable that I woke up.
"The pain I feel when I wake up is all over and I feel sometimes I can't take or live this life for one more minute.
"To carry all this weight is mentally, emotionally taxing. It's not a pain or life I'd wish on anyone because I can't do anything. I can't do anything for anyone, especially myself.
Robert and his fiancée Kathryn Lemanski moved to Huston, Texas so that he could be properly monitored by doctors. As he continued to drop the weight, physicians checked him in for surgery to get rid of a lymphedema from his side.
A lymphedema is when fluid builds up and inflames the tissue, which puts it at serious risk of infection. It's believed to be caused by a complication of cancer treatment or parasitic infections, but genetic disorders can play a role in their development.
Shockingly, after the surgery, and as he continued to drop weight, Robert found himself asking for more and more pain medication. He eventually developed an addiction to prescription pills and his doctor had to ween him off them before they could continue their regime.
A devastated Kathryn said: "'He told me: 'I don't think I'll make it through the night. I love you and I always will'.
"I lost my best friend and the person I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with."
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