The Worst Enabler On My 600-Lb Life According To Fans

The efforts made by the individuals on TLC's "My 600-lb Life" are nothing short of arduous. The reality series focuses on the journeys taken by morbidly obese individuals, seeking to lose weight with the help of Dr. Younan Nowzaradan aka Dr. Now. At the outset, it may seem as though the show's participants are simply overeating, but the truth is that most of them face even greater battles with depression, trauma, and anxiety, which often leads to their poor eating habits. This adds another layer to the challenges they face, as they not only must try to get rid of their weight, but also fight their own personal demons.

It goes without saying that having the right people by your side during these hurdles can make a world of difference. In order for these obese individuals to change their habits, so do the people around them, who may have been contributing to their weight gain by providing easy access to food. While many of these enablers are able to successfully make that transition, there are some who definitely don't. One such enabler has drawn the ire of "My 600-lb Life" fandom as being one of, if not the very worst the show has seen. 

James King was one of the most tragic participants on "My 600-lb Life." As James told TLC, his upbringing was anything but easy. Between an absent mother, financial issues that plagued his father, and a fire that destroyed all his possessions, James used food as a coping mechanism throughout his life. 

By the time he appears on Season 5, Episode 11, James is nearly 800 pounds. Ever present is his wife of 25 years, Lisa King, who takes care of James. Very quickly, it becomes apparent that Lisa won't help break the habits that are killing her husband. Dr. Now places James on a strict diet plan to make him qualify for bariatric surgery, which James resists. By the end of the episode, James actually gains weight, failing to qualify. The situation worsens on "My 600 lb Life: Where Are They Now?" when James reaches an alarming 840 pounds, and even the intervention of Adult Protective Services doesn't set James and Lisa on the right path. 

Dr. Now continually accuses Lisa of sneaking James food, which she denies. He wants her to leave the hospital for five days to see if James loses weight without her around. They refuse, and Dr. Now blows up, angered that Lisa is practically killing James by enabling his bad habits. He drops James from the program, but not before Lisa perplexingly declares, "[James'] body doesn't burn calories."

James' story sadly ended on April 3, 2020, when he reportedly passed away at age 49 from kidney failure. 

One comment came out on top after Redditor u/Holland_Garcia asked for opinions on the show's worst enablers. With 115 upvotes, user u/ratchetRealityRants replied, "Lisa, James "Aw mah leg!' King's wife is the first that came to mind!" referring to an infamous moment where James is brought into the hospital and cries in pain. Others were quick to agree. u/welluuasked wrote, "I legitimately couldn't tell if she was monumentally dumb, or actively scheming to kill him with food. Maybe both?"

One comment from a now-deleted user proposed that James and Lisa shared the blame for his situation. The same user also pointed out that both had tragic backgrounds, which probably led to the current situation in which there was abuse going both ways. "Neither person really had the moral high ground," they said, adding, "Lisa had previously been in an abusive relationship and James seemed to exploit that to get what he wanted ... but Lisa seemed perfectly fine with using James' addiction to kill him. They were equally terrible!"

u/personal_Stomach12 felt even more strongly about the scenario, commenting, "I actually thought she was purposely trying to kill him so I'm not sure it counts as 'enabling.'"

Whichever way they looked at it, the fans felt it was more than obvious that Lisa and James were locked in a toxic, ill-fated relationship, and one that likely directly contributed to James' death.