Jesse and Arthur: Father and Son - Season 11

[AshleyPSU]

Jesse



Age: 61
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Occupation: Insurance agent

Sixty-one-year-old Jesse was asked by his son Arthur to go with him to a "Biggest Loser" casting call, and there Jesse saw the hope in his son's eyes as well as everyone else's. He felt hopeful that they could both get healthy by going on the show. Jesse was born and raised in Boston, the oldest of nine children. He was heavy most of his life, but went from 170 pounds at age 25 to 270 pounds by age 29. The father of four adult children and grandfather of 10, Jesse takes 12 pills a day for a variety of health conditions, including sleep apnea, diabetes and high blood pressure. He thinks a sedentary job, poor eating habits, lack of exercise and alcohol consumption all led to his current weight of 293 pounds. Inspired by Season 9 contestant O'Neal Hampton, Jesse hopes to one day inspire others, including overweight family members, to change their lives and get healthy. He looks forward to going on amusement rides with his grandchildren, running a marathon and no longer shopping at the "big man" store when he loses weight.

Arthur



Age: 34
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Occupation: Stay-at-home dad/day care provider

Arthur's primary motivation for going on "The Biggest Loser" was to save his life. Having weighed 646 pounds in January 2009, he got down to his current weight of 507 pounds but hasn't been able to lose beyond that. A Seattle native raised in Portland with a younger sister, Arthur was always a big kid, but sports helped keep his weight in check until his junior year in high school when he had trouble making the weight of 275 pounds for wrestling. In the year 2000, he lost his insurance agency and gained 200 pounds, and then gained an additional 100 pounds after the birth of his son in 2007. Now a father of two, 34-year-old Arthur has high blood pressure and diabetes. He was inspired by Season 7 contestant Ron Morelli, and looks forward to going to Portland Trailblazers games when he has lost weight, something he always enjoyed doing as a child with his father. He also hopes to inspire people who are too large to go on "The Biggest Loser" and let them know that there's hope for them too.

[Bearcata]

People can be too large to go on Biggest Loser? That's the first I have heard. So what is too big? for males? for females?

As far as Jesse is concerned isn't his 7lb weight loss during the first weight in the lowest ever for a contestant for that particular weight in. I thought it was funny how his son, Arthur, kinda lectured him to watch what he was eating.

[Krom]

People can be too large to go on Biggest Loser? That's the first I have heard.

You'd never know it from the on-air hype for the show.

[AJane]

People can be too large to go on Biggest Loser? That's the first I have heard. So what is too big? for males? for females?

As far as Jesse is concerned isn't his 7lb weight loss during the first weight in the lowest ever for a contestant for that particular weight in. I thought it was funny how his son, Arthur, kinda lectured him to watch what he was eating.

I'm guessing Arthur was simply too large to work out. Even at over 100 lbs lighter than he was at his heaviest he can barely move...jeez, he soaked his shirt with sweat just going up and down the steps to the scale.

[mandmmom2]

Not to be mean but maybe he couldn't get to the ranch at his bigger size.

I guess you can be too big since you have to work out and could go into shock from the different foods and work outs. Not sure.

[Shoepie]

It is too bad Arthur was unable to have surgery to remove the hanging skin on his abdomen before he started this show. Though he would have needed another tummy tuck down the line, at least it would have freed him to move more easliy. I cannot image how uncomfortable and inhibiting his hanging belly is.

[PWS]

It is too bad Arthur was unable to have surgery to remove the hanging skin on his abdomen before he started this show. Though he would have needed another tummy tuck down the line, at least it would have freed him to move more easliy. I cannot image how uncomfortable and inhibiting his hanging belly is.

I agree, but I doubt many plastic surgeons would think it was worth the risk to put him under anesthesia for that at this point....