Naman Shrestha
In episode 4 of TLC’s ‘My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now?’ season 9, we are updated with David Vito Nelson’s life and his weight-loss journey over the years. Having dealt with a tough childhood, he found comfort in food, leading to him get morbidly obese. With the help of his foster mother, he was encouraged enough to get his life back on track by shedding weight in order to be eligible for the weight-loss surgery and move towards a healthier lifestyle.
David Vito Nelson’s Surgery Was Canceled Twice Before Finally Becoming Eligible
David Vito Nelson was taken in by his foster mother, Robin, when he was 17 years old. Up until then, he had rough experiences in the foster care system, affecting his mental and physical health, eventually. As the trauma of it all took a toll on him, David resorted to food as a means of escape, resulting in her developing an unhealthy relationship with it. Residing in Idaho Falls, Idaho, he came to the realization that he had to lose weight in order to lead a longer and healthier life. At his first meet-up with Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, a renowned bariatric surgeon, he weighed 762.9 pounds. In the following months, he went through a lot of ups and downs in his weight-loss journey. The doctor even canceled his surgery as he had gained 38 pounds and weighed 722 pounds.
Motivated to do better, David followed a strict diet plan and a daily exercise routine. He also started going to therapy and physical therapy, preparing his mind and body for the challenge. Although he was reapproved for the surgery a couple of months later, the doctor had no other option than to cancel it a second time when David failed to lose a certain amount of weight that the doctor had recommended. In order to change things up, he started living in his van on Galveston Island, where he made a new friend named Randon and focused on his weight loss journey. His perseverance paid off as he was approved for surgery, which took place on January 30, 2023, while he was about 551 pounds. After the surgery went successfully, he reportedly relocated to Park City, Utah, for a while and shed dozens of pounds, weighing about 488 pounds, by exercising at the pool with a swim instructor named Barbara.
David’s Reunion With His Father Healed Him Physically and Emotionally
Born David Keith Anderson, David Vito Nelson spent a significant portion of his life in the foster care system. However, upon insistence from a friend in 2024, he underwent a DNA test and checked out some adoption sites in the hope of finding some information on his biological family. To his shock and surprise, his sister stumbled upon a site that stated a family was looking to connect to a man named David Keith Anderson. The advertisement was shared by a friend of his aunt. One thing led to another, and he ultimately heard from his father in over three decades. “I got in touch with her, and she got in touch with my aunt, who got in touch with my dad,” he told East Idaho News. “My dad called me that day for the first time in 30 years.”
In just two days of spending time together, David said his father expressed, “‘I want to know you.’ I was like, ‘I have to know you. I’ll move to California right now.’ So I did. I moved in with him.” The reunion also opened old wounds as David was naturally curious about learning the truth about the circumstances surrounding his birth. In the interview, he mentioned that while he grew up believing his parents depended on drugs and that his mother was a severe cocaine user who gave birth to him when she was just 13, his father gave him some clarity. According to David, his father shared that they were high school lovers who welcomed him into their lives after their graduation and marriage.
Having said that, David added, his father confirmed that the pair actually used drugs. He also revealed that an incident in the family resulted in David being put into the foster system. Explaining how it made him feel, the reality TV personality said, “When my dad told me my actual growing up, there was a mixture of anger and relief. It wasn’t so broken as I imagined or as I was told.” Though David has moved in with his father and his family, including his stepmother, Patty, he still shares a close bond with his foster mom, Robin Villarreal, who stood beside him when he got his surgery done at St. Joseph Medical Center in Texas. David speaks to her over the phone from time to time and was also planning a trip to Idaho to see her in July 2025.
David Continues to Work Hard to Achieve His Weight Goal
Since sincerely commencing his health journey in 2021, David Vito Nelson has come a long way. Post his move to California from Idaho Falls, Nelson has not only improved mentally and emotionally, but the change has also had a great impact on his physical health. He lost around 160 pounds since relocating to California and stood at 340 pounds in October 2024. Not just that, he also shared that he is quite proud of the fact that he assisted his “big guy” in dropping 75 pounds. On the professional front, he had been working as a Forklift Operator at Sun-Glo in Sugar City, Idaho, in March 2017. Though it doesn’t seem like he works there since moving to the Bear State. Prior to that, he served in the same position at the food processing company, Dickinson Frozen Foods. It appears that the 2009 Idaho Falls High School graduate incorporated all the advice he obtained from Dr. Now during his time on the show and from other seasoned professionals.
In the aforementioned interview, he opened up about how embarking on his journey has transformed his life from all ends and made him happier than ever. David expressed, “Getting healthy is the best feeling anybody could ever have. I can’t believe I wasted 20 years getting that big. I almost can’t put it into words about how much happier I am compared with how I was three years ago. When I go for walks, I’m crying because I’m so happy. It’s amazing.” From what we can tell, David is doing his best to hit his target and lead a fulfilling and healthy life. The Sacramento, California, resident is also looking forward to getting a skin removal surgery done as soon as possible. Apart from improved stamina, emotional health, mobility, and many other things, he is grateful that his sleep apnea has been cured due to his healthy habits.
David has also begun live-streaming his workout-gaming sessions on Twitch to interact with his admirers and answer questions. In February 2025, he debuted his new haircut and hinted that he was penning a book to share the ups and downs of his journey. To keep up with his progress, David has started riding his bike across Sacramento. He particularly loves late-night bike rides around town. It seems like David began a new job as a delivery person around March 2025. He also launched a new line of gymwear merchandise in September. As his weight reached 315 pounds in July, we can tell with certainty that David has remained determined to accomplish his goal of reaching 200 pounds. With continuous hard work and focus, it won’t be a surprise if he achieves it soon.
