Younan Nowzaradan

Younan “Dr. Now” Nowzaradan (born October 11, 1944) is an Iranian‑born, Assyrian‑American vascular and bariatric surgeon who became a television personality through TLC’s long‑running reality series "My 600‑lb Life." On the show, he guides patients with severe obesity through aggressive pre‑operative diets and, when appropriate, weight‑loss surgery, earning a reputation for blunt but compassionate tough love.

Raised in Tehran, Nowzaradan earned his M.D. from the University of Tehran in 1970, then moved to the United States, completing a medical‑orientation program at Saint Louis University and a surgical internship at St. John Hospital in Detroit. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and practices in Houston, Texas, where he is affiliated with Houston Obesity Surgery and several local hospitals.

Television amplified his profile beyond the clinic. Before "My 600‑lb Life," he appeared in Channel 4’s documentary series "Body Shock" in episodes such as "Half Ton Dad," "Half Ton Teen," and "Half Ton Mum." He has also written two lay‑audience books—"Last Chance to Live" (2017) and "The Scale Does Not Lie, People Do" (2019)—alongside numerous peer‑reviewed papers on laparoscopic techniques and extreme obesity.