Dangerously Obese star Bryan gives health update on his chronic leg condition after dropping 300lbs

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The season finale of TLC’s “Dangerously Obese” airs Wednesday night, featuring Bryan’s emotional journey as he struggles with a weight of 600 pounds and faces a critical moment in his health.

The 41-year-old, originally from Virginia, shares how his weight impacted both his mental and physical health, and prevented him from fully enjoying time with loved ones, including his daughter.

He reached a point where things were so difficult that he started digitally adding himself into pictures with friends, making it look like he was at events he was too unwell to actually go to.

He ultimately decided to have weight-loss surgery with Dr. Charles Procter, the well-known surgeon featured on the TLC show 1000-LB Sisters. This was a life-changing decision for him.

The surgery was a key moment in his incredible makeover, which he shares on the show, but losing weight wasn’t his only struggle.

Before the show’s finale, Bryan spoke openly with the Daily Mail about his life with a serious medical condition called lymphedema. This long-term illness causes significant swelling in his left leg because of a buildup of fluid.

Bryan’s problems started after a basketball injury caused his left leg to swell up dramatically, gaining a lot of weight and making even basic movements incredibly painful.

It became such a dominating force in his life that he gave it a name, jokingly calling it ‘George.’

‘There is only treatment, there’s no cure for George,’ Bryan tells the Daily Mail.

Treatment aims to ease symptoms using a combination of techniques – including specialized massage to reduce swelling, exercises, compression bandaging, and careful skin care. However, his doctor emphasized the seriousness of his condition.

On the show’s finale, Bryan’s doctor explained that he has severe lymphedema, a condition that has caused many people to lose their legs. While there’s no complete cure, losing weight can significantly improve the condition.

Bryan reports that his bariatric surgery has greatly improved both how easily he can move and his lymphedema symptoms.

‘Through the surgery, through losing weight, I’m a lot more nimble,’ he told the Daily Mail.

Now that I’ve lost over 300 pounds, I’m able to bandage my leg myself, which has really helped. I do it every day – it’s become a habit. I’ve only had one instance of cellulitis since the surgery, and that happened because I had a cut that got infected.

Even his trips to the hospital have drastically decreased.

He said he was happy to report that the three or four hospital visits he used to make each year seem to have stopped, thankfully.

Humor, Bryan admits, has always been a key coping mechanism.

He told the Daily Mail he’s always enjoyed being playful and loves to laugh, calling it his favorite way to stay active.

He explained that he enjoys making people laugh and often uses humor to cope with difficult experiences, which stem from being teased as a child.

He shared that he’d gotten used to being teased as a child. He said people called him ‘Fat Boy’ when he was growing up.

I’ll always remember my roots and where I started, because those experiences have shaped me into the person I am now.

Regarding GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Bryan revealed they weren’t part of his journey.

‘At the time, those weren’t discussed because I was way too large for them,’ he explained.

But he’s more active now than ever.

He admitted he wasn’t quite where he wanted to be, but explained he didn’t rely on others as much anymore. He’s become much more active, getting around easily without getting tired when walking or running.

Even sports have returned to his life — though not without incident.

I recently healed from a broken foot I got while playing basketball – I went back to playing too soon and re-injured it.

Bryan also shared the status of his relationship with his daughter Sofia. 

The touching reunion on the show happened just before his surgery, after nearly two years apart.

He explained that since the show was filmed some time ago, she hardly remembers him being much bigger. She’s mostly forgotten it, he said.

It’s amazing looking through old photos. My wife will casually say, ‘I hardly remember you being so little!’ And she genuinely doesn’t recall me needing to catch my breath after pushing her on the swing – it’s like those early years are a bit of a blur for her, which is both sweet and a little sad.

She hardly recalls a time when she couldn’t walk around the mall, almost as if she’s forgotten that we hadn’t seen each other for a while.

‘My second chance with her is what she remembers now,’ he added.

Don’t miss the season finale of TLC’s Dangerously Obese this Wednesday at 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time to see Bryan’s amazing weight loss journey and incredible transformation!

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2025-12-10 03:10