If there’s something about “My 600-lb Life”, it’s that most of the people featured in it have difficult life stories. However, the hope that something better is awaiting every patient throughout and following their path is always there, even if it’s not always possible.
In the case of season five participant James King, life didn’t turn out better after the show. His difficult life story, unstable family dynamics, and lack of willpower make James’ episode one of the most tragic and grueling to watch.
Sadly, the happy ending to James’ weight-loss journey never came, as he died only a couple of years after appearing in the show, leaving fans of the show flabbergasted and shocked.
So what actually happened to James King? What’s his story, and why didn’t he lose much weight in the show? Keep watching to find out all about this sad story.
How Did He Die?
Several former stars of “My 600-lb Life” have found their demise during or after the show, but that doesn’t make the sadness over their loss less intense.
One of the most famous cases is James King, the participant from the fifth season who never made it through his weight loss path. His story was featured in a 2018 episode of the show, just two years before he passed away on 3 April 2020 at 49 years old. He was survived by his father, wife, siblings, four children, and 19 grandchildren.
While James’ obituary doesn’t specify the cause of death, it’s safe to assume that his complex health situation played a significant role in his demise.
Whether or not James was aware that his obesity would lead to his demise, the truth is that he dealt with issues such as sepsis and cirrhosis of the liver for some time, and these issues were directly connected to his morbid obesity. These complications worsened with time, as James never accomplished his weight loss goals, and was instead actually compelled to eat more after entering the program of Dr. Nowzaradan.
Even though a lot of things about this case make fans believe that his death was preventable, there’s nothing much we can do than send condolences to his loved ones.
James’ Story
It’s usual for participants of “My 600-lb Life” to have heartbreaking life stories, and this was no different for James King.
He was born on 2 June 1970 in Elmhurst, a city west of Chicago, Illinois. He and his older brother Donald were raised by their father, as their mother was unable to tend to their needs because of her alcoholism. As James recalled in his “My 600-lb Life” episode, he rarely saw his mother while growing up, and the few times he did, she was intoxicated. According to his father Donald, it was difficult for him to fill the emotional needs of his children without a mother figure.
While James didn’t have any obesity issues during his childhood, life became complicated in his early teens when his father married. Suddenly, James and his brother had four step-siblings, meaning that the family’s financial situation went downhill, as his father didn’t have the means to support eight people at once.
The anxiety over the lack of money caused James to consume food in excess, gaining massive weight during high school. To make matters worse, James’ mother died from liver cancer not long after reconnecting with him. The same day of her funeral, his house burned down, and he lost almost everything.
All of these factors contributed to James’ depression and unhealthy eating habits.
Before The Show
Long before debuting in “My 600-lb Life” during the fifth season, James King and his family were already asking for help to improve his health. As read in the funding campaign set-up by his daughter Courtney in 2015, James had been bedridden since around 2013, and was very depressed.
It’s also known that James had a tumor removed from his leg in 2010, but sepsis had made it difficult for his leg to heal, on top of having the tumor regrow. According to his daughter, James was able to walk and had a normal life years before his health went downhill, but the family was increasingly unable to afford the costs which treating someone his size entailed.
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James’ situation was covered by the local news channel WPSD Local 6, but the family was still unable to collect enough money to afford the medical and transportation costs necessary for him to undergo surgery in Illinois.
One year later, WSPD reported that James would be helped by Dr. Now in Texas, but still needed over $10,000 for specialized medical transportation to get there, though not many donations came in the end; his financial struggles were also covered by James’ episode of “My 600-lb Life”.
Path in The Show
James’ path in “My 600-lb Life” started when he was still living in Illinois and struggled to get to Houston, Texas. At that point, James had already been in contact with Dr. Now, who told him to follow a strict 1,200-calorie-a-day diet which James didn’t seem to follow.
Unable to collect enough money for transportation fit for extremely overweight people, James’ father refinanced his house to afford the costs of James getting to Houston. Nonetheless, his situation didn’t improve after getting into Dr. Now’s program given the lack of willpower on James’ side to stop his unhealthy eating habits and his wife Lisa’s inability to stop feeding him.
By the time James arrived in Houston, he weighed 735lbs, and hadn’t lost much weight during the previous four months, according to Dr. Now’s estimations. Later on, he went over 843lbs, and was eventually dismissed from the program during his 11th month of treatment, given the lack of improvement he had shown. It hadn’t helped that his enabler wife Lisa didn’t follow Dr. Now’s instructions.
Regarding his weight-related problems besides his asepsis and liver issues, James had been suffering from a complex case of cellulitis, an ankle injury which caused his bedridden situation, and a severe infection on his legs.
Aftermath
In the end, James King was unable to overcome his terrible situation As seen in online forums for “My 600-lb Life” fans, many people regard him as one of the most preventable deaths ever featured in the show, if it wasn’t for James’ lack of willpower and effective support system.
All in all, James’ case has been one of the most shocking presented in the show, and sends a message about how serious and heartbreaking morbid obesity is; then, it’s the patient’s will-power which decides the outcome!
