Ken Issues Kim a Weight Loss ‘Ultimatum’ on Welcome to Plathville
Ken Palmer confronts his girlfriend, Kim Plath, regarding her weight loss struggles in the upcoming episode of Welcome to Plathville, expressing concern that her lack of dedication could jeopardize their relationship.
“I want her to be around for a long time for me and the kids,” Ken shares with the cameras in Us Weekly’s exclusive preview of the Tuesday, May 19 episode of the TLC series. “But I feel like she’s put her health [goals] on the back burner.”
He adds, “I’m not seeing any changes and it’s becoming frustrating.”
Kim, who has been dating Ken since 2022 after her divorce from ex-husband Barry Plath, acknowledges that her weight loss journey has been difficult, citing her age as a significant challenge in her progress.
“It’s been a bit daunting, you know, being in my 50s and trying to lose weight. I mean, it’s not as easy as it was in my 20s or even my 30s,” she says while sitting on a swing on their farm. “I’m trying to work out more, but some days it’s really hard to fit in.”
However, Ken remains skeptical about Kim’s commitment to change, despite her assurances that she is working on herself.
“To me, it often feels like there are obstacles, but you use them as excuses not to exercise,” Ken asserts. “I’ve looked back and seen moments where you haven’t truly tried or put in the effort.”
Kim, 53, listens quietly as Ken shares his honest opinions about her weight loss journey, merely nodding her head.
“I genuinely care for Kim and want to see her become healthier, but if she doesn’t commit to her health, it could be a deal breaker,” Ken confides to the cameras. “It makes me question if she’s committed to me.”
He also expresses his worries about Kim dragging her feet, saying, “To me, that indicates that you don’t care enough about us to put in the extra effort.”
He admits, “It’s challenging to give 100 percent if I’m not assured that you’re fully committed; I need to see it, not just hear it.”
Kim remains composed during their discussion but later reveals in a confessional that Ken’s comments affect her negatively.
“I don’t like that it’s a deal breaker for him. It feels like an ultimatum,” she admits.
Kim further confesses, “I do worry about our relationship’s future when I hear him say things like that.”
As viewers of Welcome to Plathville know, Kim began her relationship with Ken following her split from Barry, with whom she was married for 24 years.
The former couple has nine children: Ethan, Hosanna, Micah, Moriah, Lydia, Isaac, Amber, Cassia, and Mercy. Their 10th child, son Joshua, tragically passed away in 2008 at 17 months due to a farm accident.
Kim filed for divorce in June 2024, stating their separation date as December 2021. (They publicly announced the split in June 2022.)
Despite their divorce proceedings, Kim and Barry continued to film the TLC reality series and are still involved in each other’s lives. They finalized their divorce in 2025, a fact confirmed by Kim during the season 8 premiere of the show in March.
In the same episode, Kim revealed that Ken has moved in with her on the Plath family farm in Whigham, Georgia, after a brief pause in their relationship due to the ups and downs involving Barry.
“Once the divorce was finalized, we realized we wanted to be together,” Kim explained during the premiere, mentioning that Ken lives with her and her three youngest daughters. (Kim and Barry share custody of the girls 50/50.)
Catch Welcome to Plathville weekly on TLC, airing Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET.
