DENTON — About one in every four Americans is obese, according to the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One North Texas mother's bad habits helped shape her son into the man he is today, and that has turned out to be good thing — for both of them.
Jason Cole has, by any definition, the perfect body. But it was dangerous fat that got him in this prime condition.
Not his fat; his mother's.
"My mother very, very, very ill during 2004," Cole said. "During that time period she had a lot of diseases. She had hypertension, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, heart disease — everything you could really name."
Earnestine Cole's doctor told her she was setting herself up for death, and gave her just six months to live.
"It really motivated me to get knowledge about my body, her body, and help her through this period," Jason Cole said.
The Coles' journey toward better health started with slow steps, for both of them. "I walked with her; I talked with her; I was with her every step of the way," Jason Cole said. "I'd help her even with nutrition. I'd say, 'Mother don't eat that.'"
As Jason learned more about how to help his mother, he also helped himself.
Last month, he entered a body-building contest in Fort Worth (just for fun) and won. Jason dedicated his victory to a mom whose bad habits turned into positive inspiration.
"I liked the coaching, I liked the teaching, I liked inspiring people, motivating people," he said. "And seeing my mother through those changes, that was the best feeling I felt."
Earnestine Cole may never be skinny, but with the help of her son, she's lost more than 80 pounds. And the obesity-related diseases she was told would kill her are now gone.
"I could not have done this," she said. "I was barely moving, barely walking, making six or eight steps and passing out."
Jason Cole abandoned his goal of becoming a stockbroker and dreams now of owning his own gym, so he can help others fight fat.
Mom, of course, will always be his number-one client.
E-mail jstjames@wfaa.com
