A morbidly obese amputee who weighs more than 600lbs has recalled how his favorite aunt used to constantly feed him whatever he wanted as a child — a habit which later caused him to turn to food for comfort whenever he was suffering.
James ‘L.B.’ Bonner, from Lexington, South Carolina, tipped the scales at 150lbs when he was eight years old. When his Aunt Dora died of cancer right before his ninth birthday, he was crushed and started relying on food as a coping mechanism.
His weight continued to spiral out of control after his leg was amputated following an ATV accident at age 25. Four years later, L.B. opted to document his weight loss journey on the TLC series My 600lb Life.
Tragedy: James ‘L.B.’ Bonner, from Lexington, South Carolina, weighs more than 600lbs after having his right leg amputated following an ATV accident in 2013
Start of it all? L.B. says his Aunt Dora (pictured) would spoil him with food as a child
In a preview clip for Wednesday night’s episode of the show, L.B. explains how his Aunt Dora used to dote on him when he was a child because he was the only boy in the family.
‘I was adopted as a newborn because, after having three girls, my parents decided to adopt a boy, and so they got me,’ he says.
‘Since I was the only boy in our whole family, I was the one who was going to continue the Bonner name, so it was like everyone was raising, including my aunt.’
In her testimonial, L.B.’s mother recalls how she and her husband had always wanted a son, noting that they ‘felt so blessed to be his parents.’
‘Everybody wants to have a son, especially me,’ L.B.’s father Buddy tells the camera. ‘That’s all I dreamed of: having a boy, giving him my name, letting him carry on my life.’
Boy of the family: L.B. was a newborn when he was adopted by his parents, who desperately wanted a son after having three girls
Responsibility: L.B. was the only male child in the whole family to carry on the Bonner name
Buddy explains that his entire family wanted to share in L.B.’s adoption. L.B. spent so much time with his Aunt Dora and Uncle Sam, he considered them second parents, calling them ‘Ma Two’ and ‘Dad Two.’
‘I was always excited to go stay with my aunt and uncle,’ he recalls. ‘Every time I would get down there, the first thing she’d do is go open up the cabinets and say: ‘Whatcha want?’
L.B. says his aunt always had beef sticks, pigs in the blanket, and snack cakes for him to munch on.
‘I guess that’s when I started associating that comforted feeling with food,’ he says, but his mom admits he was downright spoiled.
‘Whatever he wanted at night, if it was a piece a cake, if it was ice cream, whatever it was, Dora would get up and fix it,’ she says.
Doting dad: His father Buddy said all he ever wanted was a son to to give his name to
Bad habits: L.B. says the first thing his Aunt Dora would do when he was visiting her house was open the cabinets and ask what he wanted to eat
When he would finally come home after spending a couple of days at his aunt and uncle’s house, his mom says he would scream, cry, and refuse to go to sleep until he got the food he wanted.
L.B. admits he ‘gained a lot of weight’ over the next few years of his life, explaining he tipped the scales at 150lbs when he was just eight years old.
When talking about how she was diagnosed with cancer and passed away right before he turned nine, L.B. starts to tear up.
‘When his Ma Two died. It’s like this little boy was just crushed,’ his mom tells the camera. ‘It was just like his whole world fell apart.’
Although he was heavier than his peers growing up, L.B. didn’t let that stop him from playing sports in high school. However, a torn ACL ended any chance of him having a successful football career.
Out of control: After a few years of eating whatever he wanted at his aunt’s house, L.B. started to pile on the pounds
Unhealthy: By the time he was eight years old, L.B. weighed 150lbs
Cycle of addiction: L.B. turned to food for comfort after his aunt died right before his ninth birthday, and his weigh continued to spiral out of control
According to The Lexington Ledger, L.B. started partying and drinking heavily, which eventually led to him dropping out of high school.
As L.B.’s drinking increased, so did his weight. Things only got worse or him after he got into an ATV accident in 2013.
His lower right leg was so damaged, doctors had to remove it, making him an amputee at just 25 years old. Despite his increasing size and the loss of his leg, L.B. was still able to get around on his own and didn’t see the need to lose weight.
It wasn’t until the one-year anniversary of his best friend’s death in 2017 that he realized he needed to do something to change his life.
L.B. reached out to the producers of My 600lb Life, and the team paired him Houston-based weight loss surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan.
But in order to lose weight for once and all, L.B. must change his eating habits and find another way to cope with his emotional pain.