When “My 600-lb Life” fans watch Dr. Younan Nowzaradan transform lives, few know about the woman who made his rise possible. Delores Nowzaradan spent 27 years building the foundation for Dr. Now’s career—managing their household, raising three children, and caring for his mother while he built a bariatric surgery practice in Houston. Her story reveals the often-overlooked sacrifices behind medical success.
Who is Delores Nowzaradan?
Born Delores McRedmond on November 20, 1953, she worked as a secretary before marrying Dr. Nowzaradan in 1975. She quit her job to become a full-time homemaker, raised three children (Jonathan, Jennifer, and Jessica), and provided care for Dr. Now’s mother for 21 years. After filing for divorce in 2002, citing cruel treatment, she received 70% of their joint assets in the 2004 settlement. Now 72, she lives privately in Texas.
Early Life and Background
Delores McRedmond grew up in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. Sources indicate she came from a business-oriented family, with her father Louis McRedmond, running a successful company. She had nine siblings—seven sisters and two brothers—and was raised primarily in Tennessee.
Before marriage, she worked as a secretary, demonstrating the organizational skills and professionalism that would later prove essential in managing a busy household. Her early career gave her financial independence and a sense of purpose that she would eventually channel into family life.
When her father passed away in August 1997, Delores inherited 4.6% of the family business shares. This inheritance later became part of a sibling dispute over the company’s control, with Delores and five sisters siding with their brother Louis against siblings Stephen, Marie, and Anne. The legal battle was settled in 2008, with the company divided into two entities.
Meeting Dr. Nowzaradan and Marriage
Delores met Younan Nowzaradan in the early 1970s, when he was still establishing his medical career after immigrating from Iran. They married in 1975, shortly after he completed his residency in surgery. At that time, Dr. Now was building his practice in Houston, Texas, facing the challenges many immigrant physicians encounter—cultural adjustment, credential recognition, and establishing a patient base.
The newlyweds represented a traditional partnership. Delores left her secretarial position to focus entirely on creating a stable home environment. This decision allowed Dr. Now to dedicate himself to his demanding surgical practice without worrying about household management or childcare.
Their marriage lasted nearly three decades, spanning the entire period of Dr. Now’s transformation from an immigrant surgeon to a prominent bariatric specialist. During these years, Delores managed every aspect of their family life while her husband spent long hours at his medical practice and various surgical facilities.
Family Life and Children
Between 1978 and 1983, Delores and Dr. Nowzaradan had three children who would each forge their own paths:
Jonathan Nowzaradan was born on February 6, 1978. He became the most publicly visible of the Nowzaradan children, founding Megalomedia production company in Austin, Texas, on April 23, 2003. As CEO and director, Jonathan conceived and produced “My 600-lb Life,” the show that made his father a household name when it premiered on TLC in 2012. His company also produced documentaries like “World’s Heaviest Woman” (2007) and shows including “Heavy,” “Shipping Wars,” and “Quints by Surprise.” By 2010, Megalomedia reported revenues of $3.8 million, and Jonathan’s estimated net worth reached $13 million by 2023.
Jennifer Nowzaradan was born on February 21, 1980. She studied art at St. Edward’s University and graduated with a degree in fine arts. Today, she works as a high school art instructor in Austin, Texas. Jennifer has displayed her work at various galleries since 2001 and credits both parents as inspirations for cultivating her creativity. She married Kimry Paul and maintains a relatively private life compared to her brother.
Jessica Nowzaradan was born on May 1, 1983. The youngest Nowzaradan child pursued photography and creative arts. She keeps an even lower profile than her siblings, focusing on her artistic work and personal life away from public attention.
Delores raised these children largely on her own. Court documents from the divorce proceedings reveal that Dr. Now spent extensive hours at his practice, leaving Delores to handle school events, daily routines, and emotional support. She managed to provide what she considered a normal upbringing despite their father’s increasingly busy schedule and growing prominence in bariatric surgery.
Supporting Dr. Now’s Medical Career
Behind Dr. Nowzaradan’s success was Delores’s steady presence at home. While he built Best Care Clinic (BCC) starting in 1986, she managed household responsibilities that extended far beyond typical domestic duties.
The clinic operated seven days a week, including holidays and weekday evenings, from a shopping center on Bellaire Boulevard in Houston. By 1987, multiple physicians worked there part-time, supported by nurse practitioners, nurses, medical assistants, lab and surgical assistants, and administrative staff. The clinic employed several family members, including Dr. Now’s brother as office manager for approximately 15 years.
During this time, Delores took on a particularly demanding responsibility: caring for Dr. Nowzaradan’s mother, who lived with the family for 21 of their 27 years together. This arrangement required patience, cultural sensitivity, and the ability to balance multigenerational household dynamics while raising three young children.
Her contributions enabled Dr. Now to focus completely on developing the surgical techniques and patient care approaches that would eventually make him famous. Without worrying about childcare, elderly parent care, or household management, he could dedicate himself to the long hours and demanding schedule that building a medical practice requires.
The Divorce: Breaking Point After 27 Years
In 2002, Delores filed for divorce in the District Court of Texas. Her petition cited “insupportability” and “cruel treatment” as grounds for ending the marriage. In Texas family law, “insupportability” refers to unendurable, insufferable, and intolerable circumstances—a no-fault ground that doesn’t require proving either party’s wrongdoing.
However, Delores’s claim of “cruel treatment” suggested more serious issues in the relationship. While specific details remain private, court documents indicate she felt neglected and unsupported throughout the marriage. The divorce filings portrayed a husband increasingly absorbed in his career at the expense of family relationships.
Dr. Nowzaradan responded with his own counter-petition, also citing insupportability. He denied her allegations and contested the divorce terms. What followed was a lengthy, bitter legal battle that lasted two years.
The court proceedings revealed Dr. Now’s attempts to complicate the asset division process. According to the final ruling, he withheld records, obstructed discovery, asserted baseless privileges, and failed to comply with court orders. At one point, on March 8, 2004—the fourth day of trial—Dr. Nowzaradan filed for bankruptcy in what the bankruptcy court later dismissed as a bad-faith filing.
The court also ordered two receiverships. The first, dated December 31, 2003, supervised an attempted sale of BCC for $150,000 that Dr. Nowzaradan had negotiated independently. Under those sale terms, he would retain the clinic’s accounts receivable, estimated at approximately $4 million at that time.
The trial court ultimately found Dr. Nowzaradan at fault for the marriage breakdown. The judge determined his actions during discovery had been obstructive and uncooperative, complicating what should have been a straightforward asset division.
The 2004 Settlement: A New Beginning
When the divorce was finalized on October 29, 2004, the court awarded Delores approximately 70% of the community estate—a significant and somewhat unusual division that reflected her contributions during the marriage and the court’s findings against Dr. Now.
This settlement included their family home, cash assets, property, bank accounts, and retirement funds. Delores also received alimony and child support payments. The substantial award acknowledged the decades she spent raising their children, caring for his mother, and managing the household while he built his medical empire.
After the divorce, Delores immediately dropped the Nowzaradan surname and reverted to her maiden name, Delores McRedmond. She chose not to remarry, focusing instead on her relationship with her adult children and rebuilding her independent life.
Life After Divorce: Choosing Privacy
Following the divorce, Delores made a deliberate choice to avoid public attention. Unlike many former spouses of celebrities who leverage their connection for media opportunities or social media followings, she maintained strict privacy.
She reportedly returned to work, taking positions as a teacher and tutor. Some sources mention her working at Oak Ridge Elementary, though specific employment details remain scarce, given her preference for staying out of the spotlight.
As her ex-husband’s fame grew with “My 600-lb Life,” which premiered in 2012, media interest in Dr. Now’s personal life increased. Yet Delores successfully avoided interviews, public appearances, and social media engagement. She doesn’t maintain public Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook accounts where fans could follow her life.
Her relationship with her children appears strong. Jonathan, Jennifer, and Jessica occasionally reference their mother in social media posts and family photographs, though they respect her desire for privacy. She reportedly spends time with her grandchildren, including Jonathan’s daughter Danielle and Jennifer’s son.
Delores likely remains in the Houston area where she raised her family, though her exact location isn’t publicly known. The divorce settlement provided financial security, with estimates placing her current net worth around $1 million—modest compared to Dr. Now’s estimated $6 million, but comfortable enough to support an independent lifestyle.
The My 600-lb Life Connection
Ironically, Delores’s most visible legacy might be the very show she never appears on. Jonathan’s decision to document his father’s work suggests the deep impression Dr. Now’s medical practice made on him—an awareness likely fostered by Delores’s support of her husband’s career and her emphasis on her children witnessing their father’s dedication.
“My 600-lb Life” premiered on TLC in February 2012 and has run for 12 seasons with over 130 episodes. The show follows morbidly obese patients—typically weighing 600 pounds or more—as they undergo Dr. Now’s strict diet and weight loss surgery program. Jonathan serves as executive producer and director, shaping how these transformative stories are told.
The show spawned multiple spin-offs, including “My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now?” (2015) and “Skin Tight” (2016). In 2025, Dr. Now launched “The 6000 lb Diaries with Dr. Now,” continuing his television presence. The franchise has made Dr. Nowzaradan one of the most recognizable physicians on television, with over 1 million Instagram followers and international fame.
Without Delores’s decades of family management—freeing Dr. Now to perfect his surgical techniques and build his practice—this television success might never have materialized. Her invisible contributions during their marriage created the foundation for both Dr. Now’s medical reputation and Jonathan’s production company.
Understanding Her Role and Legacy
Delores Nowzaradan’s story represents thousands of spouses who support ambitious professionals. She made choices common to her generation: leaving her career, prioritizing her husband’s advancement, managing all domestic responsibilities, and raising children essentially as a single parent while technically married.
These contributions often go unrecognized until divorce proceedings force a reckoning. The 70% asset division in Delores’s favor reflected the court’s acknowledgment that she enabled Dr. Now’s success through her unpaid labor, sacrifice, and dedication.
Her decision to remain private after the divorce demonstrates dignity and self-respect. Rather than seeking fame through her connection to Dr. Now or attempting to profit from tell-all interviews, she chose independence and normalcy. This suggests someone who values personal peace over public recognition—a refreshing contrast in an age of social media oversharing.
The contrast between Delores’s privacy and Dr. Now’s public persona is striking. As he helps patients transform their lives on television, she maintains the quiet life she built post-divorce. Her absence from the spotlight speaks volumes about her character and priorities.
Where is Delores Nowzaradan Now?
At 72 years old, Delores continues living privately in Texas. She maintains relationships with her adult children and grandchildren, though the specifics of these relationships remain personal. Her financial security from the divorce settlement allows her to live comfortably without working, though some reports suggest she continued teaching or tutoring for several years after the divorce.
She doesn’t appear at public events, give interviews, or maintain social media profiles accessible to the general public. This level of privacy is particularly remarkable given Dr. Now’s continued television presence and Jonathan’s high-profile production work.
Final Thoughts
Delores Nowzaradan’s life offers valuable lessons about partnership, sacrifice, and resilience. She supported a surgeon through his career-building years, raised three successful children, and cared for extended family—only to find her marriage unsustainable after 27 years.
Her story also highlights the often-invisible contributions of spouses who enable professional success. Behind Dr. Nowzaradan’s medical achievements and television fame stands a woman who created the stable foundation that made it all possible.
Today, as Dr. Now continues helping patients on television and Jonathan produces compelling reality content, Delores lives the quiet life she chose after the divorce. Her preference for privacy over fame, independence over association with celebrity, and family over publicity represents a dignified approach to life after a high-profile marriage.
The next time you watch “My 600-lb Life,” remember that Dr. Now’s success story includes an unsung partner whose decades of dedication helped make his career possible. Delores Nowzaradan may not seek recognition, but her impact on the Nowzaradan family legacy is undeniable.
FAQs
How old is Delores Nowzaradan?
Born November 20, 1953, Delores is currently 72 years old (as of December 2025).
What is Delores Nowzaradan’s net worth?
Estimates place her net worth around $1 million, primarily from the 2004 divorce settlement that awarded her 70% of the joint assets with Dr. Now.
Did Delores Nowzaradan remarry?
No, she has not remarried since her divorce from Dr. Nowzaradan was finalized in 2004.
How many children does Delores have?
She has three children with Dr. Nowzaradan: Jonathan (born 1978), Jennifer (born 1980), and Jessica (born 1983).
Does Delores appear on My 600-lb Life?
No, she has never appeared on the show and maintains no public connection to it, despite her son Jonathan producing and directing it.
What was the reason for the divorce?
Delores filed, citing “cruel treatment” and “insupportability,” alleging neglect and lack of support during their 27-year marriage. The court found Dr. Now at fault for the marriage breakdown.