My 600-lb Life star Latonya Pottain dies aged 40 after asking fans to 'pray for me'
A woman who appeared on the reality show My 600lb Life has died aged 40.
Airing since 2012, the American reality show follows a year in the life of morbidly obese individual as they attempt to reduce their weight to a healthy level under the care of Houston surgeon Younan Nowzaradan (known as Dr. Now).
In 2023 Latonya Pottain, then aged 37, appeared on season 11 of the show.
At the time she weighed 632lbs (45 stone) and was largely bedbound, which was preventing her from walking down the aisle and marrying her fiancé Daune.
Her episode detailed her struggles to give up the food that she was used to, and she kept on gaining weight by each check in with Dr. Now.
She was then diagnosed with a dangerous heart health issue and eventually told she couldn't be helped on the show anymore after failing to lose the weight she was required to.
Two years later, she's died aged 40.
TMZ has reported that Pottain died on Saturday, May 17 at Christus Highland Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana.
The preliminary autopsy report found she died from congestive heart failure, the Natchitoches Parish Coroner's Office also revealed.
Her brother told the publication he and other family members had visited Pottain at her home on Saturday morning and noticed she was having trouble breathing and told them she was 'extremely uncomfortable'.
A nurse later called her brother to alert the family Pottain had called an ambulance to bring her to the hospital because she was going into cardiac arrest, which led to her death.
Soon after Pottain's death was announced publicly, her social media pages were flooded with tributes, with one heartbroken fan said they'd been 'rooting for her' to turn her health around.
During her time on My 600-lb Life, Pottain memorably clashed with Dr. Now over her dislike of the healthy hospital food she was being given.
She also spoke about struggling with mental health issues, which sparked her overeating.
'When I eat, it takes the stress away. That's what I do to help me cope with things,' she said.
'I know the food is unhealthy and not good for me. But with the habit that I have for long, it's hard to change it.
'I'm disappointed in myself for getting to this place.' More Trending
A year ago, Pottain begged fans to pray for her amid her health battle.
'Y'all pray for me my heart not working right and there is nothing more the doctors can do here in Louisiana please keep me lifted,' she wrote on Facebook.
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When discussing her motivations to change her life, Pottain said on the show: 'I want to get married, I want to have my own child, start a family and be normal.'
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