If TLC "My 600-lb Life" had a poster child for delusional self-pity, it would be season 5's James K. The 791-lb man upset viewers more, maybe, than any other patient with his excuse-making, manipulative behavior and nacissism. And this dangerous trifecta is defeating James' weight-loss faster than overeating. His selfishness is killing him as much as cellulitis, lymphedema and heart failure. The Kentucky man is living proof of the damage wrought by obesity's big, fat lies.
Obesity lies about overeating
James K. worried that his weight would kill him.
But despite the fact that lymphedema was so bad that it was oozing out him, he bullied his family into overfeeding him. Despite his supposed fears and pain, the obese man broke his diet because he couldn't raise the money for bariatric surgery. Despite his girlfriend being unable to find a way to get him to Houston for gastric bypass, he kept on eating. Nothing could stop him, not even heart failure. James kept lying about his overeating until he met the two entities he couldn't fool --"My 600-lb Life" Dr. Younan Nowzaradan and the scale.
Obesity makes ludicrous excuses for overeating
And James K. made some of the most audacious excuses ever on "My 600-lb Life" even compared to fellow patient Steven Assanti.
James was "too busy" (lying in bed) to eat right. He said it wasn't the right time to diet as his family was in turmoil (as if cleaning her father's privates after a bowel movement wasn't bad enough for his daughter). He had to order fast food on the road (because fast food places have no low-calorie options?) The reality television star even blamed overeating and obesity on their van breaking down (from lugging his near-half-ton body) and being unable to afford to eat healthy.
He seemed to forget that salads for a week cost less than one day of his 6-egg, 6-sausage, biscuits and gravy breakfasts and steak dinners.
Slippery slope of obesity, over-indulging
In the hospital, he lost 50 pounds on Dr. Now's 800-calorie diet. But at home, James didn't lose and couldn't figure out why. His girlfriend Lisa knew why but not what to do about it.
His daughter Bayley (the only one not in denial) knew what to do (stop feeding him) but was scolded when she suggested it. James declared he only cheated once to have Chinese food. Rice wasn't on the diet but he said it was okay because it was fried. When the big pre-surgery weigh-in came, all the logical fallacies James told himself were proved wrong. Not only had he not dropped 200 pounds, he'd gained 153 pounds. In a few months, he'd jumped up to 844 pounds. When confronted, he blamed Lisa, saying they'd blown it. When Dr. Now had to call off gastric bypass surgery, he blamed the physician for not getting him a nutritionist. Obesity can lie all it wants, however, scales speak the big, fat, naked truth.
