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New series on TLC: Meet the sisters who weigh 500 kg

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1000-lb Sisters (Photo: M-Net)
1000-lb Sisters (Photo: M-Net)

TLC's newest reality show 1000-lb Sisters follows the Slaton siblings, who, weigh a combined weight of close to 500kg, as they try to lose enough weight to be approved for bariatric surgery.

The six-part documentary airs on TLC (channel 135) Tuesdays at 20:00 with episode 1 and 2 streaming on DStv Catch Up

The home of the hit series 90 Day Fiance, TLC's newest weight-loss show is a mix between My 600-Lb Life and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:

31-year-old Amy weighs 406 lbs (184 kg) and lives in Kentucky with her husband, Mike Halterman. The couple has hopes of starting a family, but due to her excess weight, Amy has had difficulty falling pregnant. 

During the first episode, Amy gets very emotional as she talks about her struggle trying to conceive, which turns out to be a big weight-loss motivation for the younger sister.

Tammy, who is one year older than Amy, is shocked when she steps on the scale and sees the flashing number 605 lbs (275 kg) appear on the screen. 

Both sisters exceed the weight limit for a bathroom scale and in the first episode drive to a junkyard, where they weigh themselves on an industrial scrap metal scale. The outing is especially traumatic for Tammy, who hadn't left the house in six years, other than when she needed medical attention.

Tammy moved in with Amy after her most recent health scare, and because of her weight, she needs help with most tasks which include bathing.

But their long list of health issues doesn't stop the duo from tucking into their favourite foods. When Tammy is released from hospital and "sick of hospital food," Amy prepares a dinner of her sister's "favourites." Lasagne, bacon, chicken, dumplings, hamburgers, pasta, peanut butter pie, candy bar cake, applesauce cake and peanut butter and mayo sandwiches - washed down with "sodie (soda)."

The sisters laugh when they explain that when they were younger, they were told that if you drink diet soda, it will cancel out whatever other calories you eat.  

Although the documentary takes a look at such a serious subject matter, as 1000-lb Sisters chronicles the sister's weight-loss journey, it is still light-hearted, and your heart goes out to Amy and Tammy as they try to make changes to their unhealthy lifestyle.

You can also expect the occasional fart and burp joke, as the girls show off their secret talent: "ventriloquist burping."  

The sisters, who also rose to fame as "influencers" in 2014, reveal that they started a YouTube channel because they struggled to make friends in real life, and wanted to meet new people. 

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Tune in to #1000lbSisters on Wednesdays at 10/9c.

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In an episode, the sisters hold a meet and greet, and it is heartwarming to see how their fans rally and support the sisters on their journey to getting healthy. Both were initially worried about how their fans would respond to the news that they were planning to undergo weight-loss surgery. 

In later scenes, the diet seems to take a toll on the sister's relationship. "I think it's going to be hard because we'll both be grumpy if we don't eat," Amy is heard saying in in the promo. "I don't want to live off frickin' salads like ya'll want me to," Tammy says.

But through the ups and downs, the sisters have to lean on each other for support, and it becomes apparent that if they don't take their diet seriously, they'll fail to qualify for the surgery.  

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