From 800lbs to 450lbs and Back: Susanne Eman’s Return to a Controversial Goal

Susanne Eman, 36, from Arizona, was left heartbroken in 2013 when her fiancé ended their engagement after she lost nearly half her body weight. A mother of two, Susanne said she initially committed to losing weight because her children pressured her to take her health seriously. But as the pounds came off, she says she also lost the man she planned to marry.

“What bothered me was seeing my body shrink. I felt absolutely tiny,” Susanne said, describing how she felt at 450 pounds.

Now, Susanne says she has found love again—this time with Nick Abbate—and has regained weight, bringing her back up to around 600 pounds. The couple met online, and Abbate reportedly takes pride in preparing enormous meals for her.

Susanne first drew national attention in 2011 when she publicly shared her ambition to become the heaviest woman in the world. At the time, she weighed just over 750 pounds and was engaged to chef Parker Clack, who supported her plan to reach a target weight of 1,600 pounds within ten years. As their wedding approached, she increased her intake to an extreme 30,000 calories a day in pursuit of becoming what she described as the largest bride.

During preparations featured by Inside Edition, Susanne had a wedding gown made in an exceptionally large size, using 45 yards of material and featuring 42 feet of chiffon. In the lead-up to a fitting, she ate massive breakfasts—pancakes, Belgian waffles, hash browns, sausage links, steak, and a 12-egg omelette. On the day of one seamstress appointment, she stopped for snacks and arrived with three guacamole bacon cheeseburgers, two orders of chili cheese fries, nine tacos, a chocolate shake, and a large Coke.

As the months passed, Susanne reached her heaviest recorded weight of 800 pounds. But her sons—Gabriel and Brendin—became increasingly worried about her health, and she agreed to stop pursuing further weight gain. In June 2012, she checked into a residential weight-loss clinic, where she was placed on a 1,500-calorie daily limit and exercised up to five hours a day. Her health improved as she lost weight, but Susanne said her relationship deteriorated as her fiancé struggled with her changing size.

The couple separated in October 2012. Susanne continued losing weight and reached 450 pounds by the time she left the clinic in March 2013. She said she believed everything had been on track for her wedding—until the engagement ended. “Everything was supposed to be perfect and then he split,” she told Inside Edition.

She also said she was earning more than $90,000 a year as a Big Beautiful Woman (BBW), but still chose to pursue weight loss because her children were afraid for her well-being. After the breakup, Susanne said she not only felt emotionally devastated, but also unhappy with her smaller body. She vowed to regain the weight and began increasing her food intake again. She has since returned to approximately 600 pounds.

Susanne’s new partner, Nick Abbate, is also 36 and a chef, like her previous fiancé. Abbate reportedly once struggled with obesity himself but now weighs 168 pounds. Although he has written several books about weight loss and nutrition, he has said he does not want Susanne to lose weight. “I find her very sexy and very attractive,” he said, adding that he supports her goal of becoming the heaviest woman in America. “She likes to eat,” he said.

Susanne’s story and renewed relationship were later discussed in connection with an Inside Edition appearance scheduled for Thursday, February 12.