What Happened To Joyce Del Viscovo After My 600-Lb Life Season 8 (2024)

Joyce Del Viscovo from My 600-lb Life has kept a lot private since failing to achieve her weight-loss goals on the show, and it's time to share some facts about her post-series life. When the 44-year-old Kansas native debuted on My 600-lb Life season 8 in 2020, she was over 750 pounds and in critical condition. Not only did Joyce have self-care problems, but she also had mobility issues due to her short height. She is 4’11."

When Joyce sought the help of My 600-lb Life's Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, she was the same age that her father had been when he passed away due to a heart attack. She had trouble getting out of bed, was extremely depressed, and paid her friend to help her through normal tasks. Joyce’s weight problems began at a young age when her parents got divorced. Later, one of her stepbrothers sexually abused her, leading to more psychological issues. At 20, Joyce was already 400 pounds, and her highest weight (at age 44) was roughly 750 pounds.

My 600-lb Life’s Joyce Del Viscovo May Not Have Achieved Goals

She Might Still Be Overweight

Joyce had a terrible experience while following Dr. Now’s program, as she didn't always restrict her caloric intake. She needed to eat less and slim down in order to qualify for the surgery. The My 600-lb Life star felt that following a 1200-calorie diet was not helping her lose weight - she believed the program wasn't working.

She didn't trust Dr. Now or take his advice. She wasn't enthused about trying to change her body. Nonetheless, Joyce did lose 134 pounds, which is admirable. However, she left the program after nine months. Her mindset about dieting never changed, and she coerced her caretakers into feeding her.

She May Be Tired Of The Criticism

In 2023, Joyce doesn’t appear to have any active social profiles. It's possible she doesn’t want to be in the limelight after appearing on My 600-lb Life. She likely lives a private life and doesn’t want people talking about her. It can be assumed that Joyce lives in her home and doesn't leave very often. Her actions on My 600-lb Life, and her lack of a public presence, hint that she isn’t following her fitness goals anymore; otherwise, she might enjoy showing off her results on social media.

My 600-lb Life Viewers Never Believed In Joyce Del Viscovo

They Had No Faith

Expectations were low for Joyce on the show as she doubted Dr. Now and wasn’t aiming to lose weight naturally. She wanted to undergo the surgery but wouldn't do the work required to get the green light. Joyce showed no enthusiasm for Dr. Now's plan and eventually quit the program. An Instagram post by the fan page kassandra600lblife suggests that many fans had no hope for Joyce. While one Instagram user called the former My 600-lb Life cast member the “laziest,” others said, “They all come with the same excuses,” and “Excuses and blaming everybody else.”

Dr. Now Tried His Best But Joyce Was A Difficult Patient

Her Journey Had A Lot Of Highs & Lows

Joyce was dangerously addicted to food. When she wasn't eating, she was thinking about what she would eat next. This kind of compulsive behavior tends to trigger intense depression. In Joyce's case, it did. As she sat at home and ate, her thoughts would grow dark. Finding the strength to change seemed impossible. The cycle of eating and then regretting it fueled a lot of self-loathing.

As the victim of childhood sexual abuse, Joyce was especially traumatized. Even at a young age, she was obese. Her relatives would try to put her on diets, but she didn't want to eat less. Eating was the way she coped with her pain. In fact, many of her life choices in her teens and beyond were the result of her addiction.

Joyce chose to work at an eatery so she'd be able to indulge in what they offered to customers. Eating soothed her but she paid a price. Negative thoughts are very common among My 600-lb Life patients. They often begin to gain weight because they are sad or anxious. From the start, they're vulnerable to addiction. Unless they adhere to strict diets, those with super morbid obesity may even die due to health issues linked with their weight. Many My 600-lb Life stars have sadly passed away, including Gina Krasley.

While addiction is sad, and addicts deserve compassion, some fans of the show aren't so evolved. They see a very large person and judge them. Maybe that person's weight doesn't fit their beauty standards. They may judge obese people more than they judge other types of addicts. However, all addicts are fundamentally the same. On Reddit, Joyce has been torn apart - she's been portrayed as a difficult, lazy and weak person. Some My 600-lb Life viewers can't see under the surface or feel Joyce's pain. On a thread by BBQ_jackfruit, the OP got heated. They said:

I watched it for the first time last night, and her story was just... bizarre and disturbing. I didn't understand the attitudes or behaviors of Joyce, her "friend and roommate" or her mother and the whole thing was just unsettling.

- Not trying to be mean, but Joyce looked legitimately horrible. She was completely immobile and had the highest BMI of anyone on the show, but her mom and Dawn never seemed to try to make her stick to the program. When they were leaving Kansas and her aunt came by, she said "you look good"; I know she was just making small talk and trying to be pleasant, but no, she didn't "look good" at all. I thought she was 60+ but she was in her mid-forties.

- Despite her extremely poor health, Joyce didn't seem to grasp her situation at all and she may have been the most delusional person on the show. She kept saying the program was failing her and claimed that 1200 calories was too much for her to lose weight. Seriously? You lost 100-200 lbs in the hospital following the diet.

This kind of attitude is what pushes people like Joyce into mental illness. Yes, they may have problems to start with - however, once they begin to gain weight, they face a different set of issues. They must deal with being heckled by people who are low on compassion. That adds more stress that they try to ease by overeating. It's a no-win situation, but Dr. Now does help many patients. Joyce did manage to lose considerable weight. Hopefully, offscreen, she is trying to lose a bit more. If she does, it will be good for her health.

Joyce lost well over 100 pounds. That's an accomplishment, but it's not good enough for her haters. They want more from the reality alum. That's probably why she stays out of the spotlight.

It's quite possible that she's read what's written about her online and decided that being quiet about her life is safer. Who could blame her for that? No one. Other series alums have made the same choice, but there are those who are more open, including the controversial My 600-lb Life brothers, Steven and Justin Assanti. They put themselves out there and seem to be able to handle the shade.

Sources: kassandra600lblife/Instagram, kassandra600lblife/Reddit

My 600-lb Life

TV-14

Reality

Cast

Jonathan Nowzaradan , Lola Clay

Release Date

February 1, 2012

Seasons

12