What Is My 600-lb Life Stars Jennifer and Marissa Jess Doing Today?

Jennifer and Marissa Jess, a mother and daughter duo from Bend, Oregon, sought help from Dr. Younan Nowzaradan (Dr. Now) on the reality TV show “My 600-lb Life” when their weight began affecting their daily lives. At the beginning of their journey, Jennifer weighed 636 pounds, while Marissa weighed 573 pounds. Both women had difficult pasts that led to their food addictions. Jennifer’s father left her and her mother when she was five, and she had an abusive stepfather. Food became the only thing that made her feel safe and happy. When Jennifer was 16, she got pregnant with Marissa and got married to an abusive man. Jennifer left her husband, but her new boyfriend introduced her to drugs. Marissa then became Jennifer’s caretaker, growing up way too fast. However, Marissa also experienced childhood trauma as she watched her father beat Jennifer.

Both women underwent gastric sleeve procedures and made lifestyle changes to lose a significant amount of weight on the show. They had to work through the emotional issues that led to their food addiction, and they were successful in their weight loss journey.

What Is My 600-lb Life Stars Jennifer and Marissa Jess Doing Today?

In a 2019 episode of My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now?, Jennifer and Marissa continued their weight loss journey with Dr. Now. After two years, Jennifer had lost over 250 pounds, bringing her weight down to 382 pounds, while Marissa was down to 242 pounds. Despite Jennifer experiencing a setback, both women remained committed to achieving their weight loss goals. Overcoming their challenging past, they sought a better and healthier life.

In a My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now? episode, Jennifer and Marissa continued their weight loss journey with Dr. Now. Despite Jennifer reconciling with her former boyfriend, Dawayne, after he cleaned up his act, their relationship put a strain on Marissa’s relationship with her mother. Marissa had emergency gallbladder removal surgery alone and moved to California to be closer to her loved ones. Although this created some tension between Jennifer and Marissa, they were doing better at the end of the episode, but still working on their relationship.

Since then, Marissa has been engaged to her fiancée, Gina Qtararo Joch, since 2019. She lives in Tampa, Florida, and has been working in a healthcare niche. In 2021, she graduated from Indiana University.

Although Jennifer’s social media accounts are private, it is clear that both women had a difficult journey on My 600-lb Life, but were able to work through their physical and emotional obstacles to achieve their weight loss goals. While their relationship has had its ups and downs, they helped each other through the experience. Hopefully, Jennifer and Marissa will be able to maintain their new, healthier lifestyles in the future.