The Big Picture

• Tammy Slaton's weight-loss journey takes a tragic turn as her husband, Caleb, passes away at the age of 40.
• Viewers of 1000-lb Sisters will witness Tammy's grieving process after becoming a young widow.
• There is hope that Tammy will seek help and therapy to cope with her loss and inspire others going through a similar situation.

Tammy Slaton has had a mercurial few years since 1000-lb Sistersfirst began. She and her sister, Amy Slaton, were both roughly 500 pounds when the series began. Viewers were drawn to the show primarily because of how frank the sisters are. They talk openly about their weight and have no qualms about letting one rip amid a confessional interview. The series was created primarily to follow their weight-loss journey, but when Tammy was unable to get her surgery at the same time as Amy, her mental health took a downward spiral.Tammy’s efforts to follow a strict diet and lose weight fell short every time. In the midst of this, she was dating men she met online who wanted her to keep the weight, something she gave in to for love. She also began making new friends that led her down a path of drugs and alcohol that nearly took her life. Things changed when Tammy went back to rehab.

She finally began to stick to her diet and stay true to her exercises and soon surpassed her weight loss goal of getting bariatric surgery done. It was also during rehab that she met Caleb Willingham. Caleb was infatuated with Tammy from the first time he appeared on camera and made his feelings known. Tammy had insisted she’d never date another person similar in size who struggled with their weight as well, but Caleb eventually won her over with his genuine care for who she was as a person. He was very clear about letting her know that he loved everything about her, which is something fans had yet to see happen to Tammy on the show. Caleb was smitten, and for the first time since the show began, Tammy was in a truly loving relationship. Though they got married only a few weeks after they began dating, fans of the show were hopeful that Tammy had finally found her true romantic partner. Unfortunately, difficulties arose after

Tammy was approved to leave rehab, meaning Caleb had to stay behind. Tammy and Caleb later began having marital problems. Tragically, during this period, Caleb passed away at the age of 40 on June 23, 2023. The devastating loss is explored throughout Season 5 of the TLC reality series, but it comes off as exploitative, and could potentially lead Tammy back into self-destruction.

1000-LB Sisters

TV-14Reality-TV

The Slaton sisters, averaging over 1,000 pounds, have always depended on each other for support. Now in their 30s, Amy wants to have children but cannot due to her weight, while her older sister Tammy is almost bedridden.

Release Date January 1, 2020 Cast Tammy Slaton , Amy Slaton-Halterman , Michael Halterman , Chris Combs Main Genre Reality-TV Seasons 5

Season 5 of ‘1000lb Sisters’ Is Shrouded In Tammy's Sorrow

The season premiere of the series featured Tammy and Caleb’s relationship heavily as she prepares to leave rehab. Caleb is not approved to go with her, leading to a tearful conversation between the two of them as she prepares to leave. The scene was both beautiful and gut-wrenching, knowing well that Caleb would never get to live with Tammy outside of rehab. The fact that this scene was so incredibly difficult to watch is an omen for the remainder of the season.

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1000lb Sisters’ fans are in for an incredibly sad ride, and TLC has not been shy about letting people know that Caleb’s death will be a major part of season 5. Tammy and Caleb separated a month before his passing due to him gaining more weight after she left rehab. Caleb’s emotional eating led to him gaining 30 pounds after Tammy left the facility.

Tammy is known for her emotional fragility. Things were looking so positive for her at the end of season 4, and now that hope is long gone. Tammy Slaton has become a young widow, and fans will have a front-row seat to watch the grieving process. And, yes, it is a reality show, so viewers will see her story play out. That being said, it does almost feel a bit wrong to have access to such a private and vulnerable time in her life. Becoming a young widow has its own challenges in comparison to most deaths.

According to a study that was published by the National Library of Medicine, almost two-thirds of young widows reported decreased functioning and probable depression. Caleb’s death, even though they were separated, will have a lasting effect on Tammy. If she does not cope well, viewers will have to watch her life devolve and hope her progress isn’t entirely thwarted.

The only potential positive in this tragic story is if she seeks help in her grieving process. If she can show herself seeking therapy to deal with all the trauma, it would benefit her. It’d be an opportunity for the show and the network to help others like Tammy who are going through the loss of a life partner too soon. This would be a great outcome, however, TLC has been known to be more exploitative than helpful in these kinds of situations. Tammy’s loss will make captivating TV.

1000-ib Sisters airs every Tuesday on TLC at 9PM EST. Episodes can also be streamed online via Max and Discovery+.

WATCH ON TLC

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