Latonya Pottain from My 600-lb Life received a final warning before her death.

Tragic My 600-lb Life star Latonya Pottain, who was just 40, received a chilling final warning from doctors two years before her death. Pottain, who appeared on season 11 of the TLC show at 632lbs in 2023, passed away on Saturday, May 17, at CHRISTUS Highland Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. The preliminary autopsy revealed she died from congestive heart failure.

Bariatric surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, known as Dr. Now, advised Pottain to make significant changes to her diet after she was hospitalized for leg pain due to further weight gain. With medication and a controlled diet, she managed to drop to 594lbs, but Dr. Now gave her a serious warning if she didn’t lose more weight. He stated, “The echocardiogram now shows that all four chambers of the heart are distended and overstrained.”

“Your heart is under strain because of your weight, and your lung capacity is restricted due to it,” Dr. Now told her. “This is the moment to learn proper eating habits. You can’t go back to what you enjoy eating or consider healthy. We’ve kept your heart from reaching a critical point recently, but if you don’t keep losing weight, it will get there again very quickly. You need to change and understand what you should be doing at home—there’s an issue with your eating habits that’s preventing weight loss. No excuses, you’re running out of time.”

She also famously clashed with Dr. Now over her dislike of the hospital’s healthy food.

Pottain remarked, “I haven’t really eaten since I’ve been here,” to which Dr. Now responded, “You’re not going to fade away. You’re going to be fine.” Pottain replied, “I still have to eat something,” and Dr. Now countered, “No, you’ve already eaten food meant for the next four years.”

Pottain’s brother shared that when he and other family members visited her at home on Saturday morning, they noticed she was struggling to breathe and felt “extremely uncomfortable,” adding that she “didn’t look well.” Later, a nurse called to inform him that Pottain had called an ambulance because she was going into cardiac arrest, which led to her death.

Pottain first appeared on the show in 2023, when her weight had left her mostly bedbound. In a heartbreaking moment, she explained that food “took the stress away” as her caregiver brought her breakfast in bed.

She said, “That’s what I do to cope with things. I know the food is unhealthy and bad for me, but after having this habit for so long, it’s hard to change. I’m disappointed in myself for getting to this point.”

Five years earlier, she had visited Dr. Younan Nowzaradan at 482lbs but left the weight loss program. Despite promising to change after struggling with her weight for most of her life, Pottain found it difficult to stick to the strict new diet and was seen eating fried foods, ultimately gaining weight during her next weigh-in.

Last year, Pottain took to Facebook to ask for prayers due to her heart issues, writing, “Y’all pray for me, my heart isn’t working right, and there’s nothing more the doctors can do here in Louisiana. Please keep me lifted.”

This year, she launched a GoFundMe to seek urgent medical care and shared that her weight had now surpassed 700lbs. She wrote, “I’m close to my highest weight of 740 pounds and worked incredibly hard to reduce it. Currently, I weigh about 705 pounds and have been bedridden since June 2024 due to severe health problems.”

“After the show aired, I faced overwhelming backlash, which sent me into a deep depression. My mental health took a hit, and I became afraid of undergoing weight loss surgery.”
“In 2023, I moved to Houston seeking a fresh start, but instead, I ended up in an abusive relationship while also facing the heartbreaking news that my father had been diagnosed with cancer.”

“Overwhelmed by the emotional and physical toll, I returned home to Louisiana. Unfortunately, my health worsened, and I developed severe sciatica nerve pain that caused intense stomach cramps. I was prescribed fentanyl, but my body rejected it, so I began therapy.

Now, I’m completely bedridden and unable to get to the hospital, as EMTs say transporting me would be a fire hazard due to my weight. Without the ability to work, I have no income to buy a car or arrange special medical transportation.”

“I’m reaching out for your help to raise funds for:

• Medical transportation to get to the hospital for urgent care
• Proper medical treatment and rehabilitation to regain my mobility
• Basic living expenses since I’m unable to work at the moment

This journey has been incredibly difficult, and I’m determined to fight for my health and my life. Any contribution, no matter how small, will bring me closer to the care I desperately need. If you can’t donate, please share my story to help me get the support I need.”

The $20,000 fundraising appeal raised just over $1,000.