Inside Rob Kardashian's Health Struggles: Everything He & His Family Have Said over the Years

Rob Kardashian and his famous family have been candid about his trouble staying physically and emotionally balanced in recent years

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Rob Kardashian. Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images

Rob Kardashian's health struggles started with a milkshake. In 2015, Kardashian, 30, posted a throwback photo reminiscing the moment he began to pack on the pounds and captioned it, "Started right here with these milkshakes #throwbackthursday." In the months following that day, Kardashian continued to eat unhealthily, which sent him into a downward spiral, gaining 100 pounds over the year. His physical transformation brought on much insecurity and led to the beginning stages of his recluse lifestyle and depression. Skipping a family vacation, Kardashian tweeted, "No one will ever understand how much it hurts."

FAMILY INTERVENTION

Rob Kardashian and Kris Jenner. Denise Truscello/WireImage

Following his extreme weight gain and retreat from the cameras, Kardashian's battle with depression worsened. His family attempted to step in multiple times, with mom Kris Jenner offering to bring in professionals or send him to rehab. "I cry myself to sleep every night worrying about Rob. It's breaking my heart," Jenner, 61, said in an April 2015 episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. But despite their efforts, Kardashian made it clear that he was not interested. "First, I don't believe in rehab or therapy or anything of that sort, and second, I'm a grown man and will work on myself when I choose," Kardashian later tweeted in September 2016. "I'm aware that I'm fat. That def ain't a surprise to me, lol, and my only therapy will be in the gym anyways."

'I CAN'T WIN LIFE FOR HIM'

Lamar Odom, Khloé Kardashian and Rob Kardashian. Simon Russell/Getty

Despite living with his older sister Khloé, who positively influenced him, Rob maintained his stubbornness. "I've been working on my patience," Khloé, 33, previously said. "I've been trying. But I have my moments, and I do snap. I've offered to get a chef, I'm like, 'What's your excuse?' But it's not just that. I can't win life for Rob. I must wait until [he's] ready to do it for himself." Khloé also attributed part of her brother's struggle to the lack of father figures in his life. "When [our stepdad] Bruce [now Caitlyn Jenner] was around, he was great, but he was going through his own things that none of us understood at the time. Lamar was [Rob's father figure]. Once Lamar left — and it's not Lamar's fault — I think Rob didn't know where to go. He was like, 'I don't have guidance anymore.'"

TOUGH LOVE

From left: Kim, Khloé, Kourtney and Rob Kardashian. Denise Truscello/WireImage

While Khloé has been nothing but supportive of her little brother, Kim Kardashian has approached the situation in a slightly different manner. In an April 2015 interview with Matt Lauer, Kim, 36, said Rob is "going through a phase where he's not comfortable in his skin" but "is working hard to get back to where he wants to be." But like her brother, Kim also eventually hit her breaking point: "Everyone licks Rob's a-- and does whatever he says. It's just like, at some point, you just have to give it up," she said on an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. "We all make his life so easy. 'Okay, we'll drive you around with a chauffeur, so no one has to look at you.' It's pathetic. We're not going to cater to him anymore, but it has to be all of us." When mama Kris came to her son's defense, claiming his problems were something he "can't help," Kim responded with a firm no. "He's still competent to where he can ask for help if he needs it."

'WHERE'S YOUR WILL TO LIVE?'

Khloé and Rob Kardashian. Getty(2)

With his mental and physical state headed downwards, Khloé refused to give up on her little bro. "Rob is such a great guy. He's charming, charismatic, everything," she admitted. "That's what's so infuriating. I'm like, 'Where is your will to live life? Let's be around people!'" As one of his biggest supporters, Khloé encouraged Rob to figure his life out and move on from his recluse lifestyle. But with no such luck, Rob found himself in the hospital again in December 2015 with a new diagnosis: type 2 diabetes. "It's sad because he's only wasting his life more and more, but he has to figure it out for himself," Khloé said. She hoped his diagnosis would "shake him up a little bit and jump-start his health journey." She added, "He has many people who want to help him."

A NEW LOOK ON LIFE

Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna.

Following his diagnosis, Kardashian vowed that things would be different. "When I got out of the hospital, I knew I needed to make changes." He eventually found his way through the start of a new relationship with model Blac Chyna, 29, claiming, "She got me through my darkest times. I wasn't happy in my skin. I missed out on so many things." He later told PEOPLE that he "definitely hurt a lot of people" but would "never go to that place again." Rob also admitted to his faults: "The way I dealt with my issues wasn't the best, but nobody can make me happy but me. Now I want to see everybody in my family every chance I get. You never know what is going to happen tomorrow."

RELATIONSHIP ON THE ROCKS

Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian. Prince Williams/WireImage

The waters didn't remain calm for long as Rob and Chyna's public fights brought him back to his reclusive, depressed state. Khloé's concern grew immediately for her brother: "The more they're fighting, and the longer things are bothering him, the more depressed he gets," she explained. "He'll go into hiding again, go missing — I don't want Rob to live that life anymore." She added, "I am concerned that Rob will go backward — I don't want him to have made all this progress, and then if they're having problems, he'll retreat."

STEPPING AWAY FROM KUWTK

The Kardashian and Jenner families. Todd Williamson/WireImage

Kardashian took a two-year hiatus from his family's reality show to avoid the public spotlight. While hosting the Architects of Change event with Maria Shriver in January 2016, Kris Jenner spoke on her son's behalf and addressed his mental health struggles. "I think it was just the perfect time for him to take a little hiatus," she said. "We just said, 'Get well. Feel better.' He was depressed, just wasn't feeling good, and didn't know why." When Shriver asked if it was hard to have one member of the family wanting more privacy when the rest of them are living their lives very much in the public eye, Jenner said, "it would be hard" but added that Kardashian "wants to come back still and shoot the show."

"He just wants to feel better," Jenner explained. "It's not that he doesn't want to be on the show. It's just he wasn't feeling good."

PUBLIC APOLOGIES

Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian. Gabriel Olsen/WireImage

But even with the show's hiatus and the diabetes wake-up call, Kardashian struggled to stabilize his life, including his relationship with Blac Chyna. After a public breakup, Kardashian apologized over Instagram: "This weekend I was in an emotionally bad place and did some things that embarrassed myself and my family. I apologize and seek help to deal with my flaws/issues. Please pray for me, and I'm sorry, @blacchyna. You are a great mother to our child, and I love you."