- Kenny and Lauren motivated each other to undergo weight loss surgery.
- Kenny underwent his surgery in September 2019 and Lauren in November 2019.
- Kenny is now down to 96kg from 186kg- and Lauren weighs in at 74kg from 134kg.
Civil servant Kenny Turner (37) from Long Island, USA, used food to console himself about his own body image growing up, and by 2019, had reached a weight of 410-pounds (185.97 kg). At that point, his girlfriend Lauren Harvey (35), an investigator also from Long Island, suggested that the pair get gastrectomies, surgeries to remove a significant portion of body fat.
Lauren was 296-pounds (134.26 kg) herself and brought up the topic of weight loss surgeries after Kenny’s doctor told him that he wouldn’t live another year if he didn’t do something about his weight and health.
Lauren and Kenny before surgery. All images courtesy mediadrumimages/@shrinking400/@sleevedbyfire/MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA
“I know the weight put a strain on the relationship just because of how uncomfortable I was in general but didn’t really understand the extent until later,” said Kenny.
“At almost 410-pounds (185.97 kg) or 210-pounds (134.26 kg), I knew she was my soulmate. Lauren found a way to love me at my worst and to bring what little joy I had out.”
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Before this, though, Kenny had started to isolate himself due to his weight. “I was full of self-loathing. I hated how I looked and how far I had let myself go,” he said.
“As a result, I had terrible social anxiety because I was so embarrassed by my size. I avoided almost all social settings and any event where I would have to be out in public. Everywhere I went, I felt like the biggest person in the room and that everyone was staring at me and judging me. So, I started to shut myself in and isolate myself from almost everything.”
Kenny had avoided weight loss surgery in the past, anxious about the process, but said that Lauren – who is now his fiancée – was the motivation he needed.
“When I met Lauren in 2018, everything changed,” he said. “I knew I wanted a life with her, and to do that, I needed to get healthier.
“She actually approached me and told me she was thinking of having weight loss surgery, and the thought of being able to have someone to go through this process eased a lot of my anxiety, so I finally decided to move forward with having the surgery.”
Lauren added that the motivation went both ways – as Kenny was the reason she decided to take this step too.
“Prior to meeting Kenny, losing …….