Isaac "Chism" Cornelison was born in Denton, Texas and grew up with his two younger siblings in Seminole, Texas. At 10 years old, he had a bad accident, which left him with a broken ankle and growth-plate injury. Multiple surgeries and the subsequent recovery times over the next six years resulted in a very sedentary lifestyle for Chism, who spent a lot of time on crutches and in a wheelchair, enjoying food brought by well-intentioned family and friends. Now a college freshman focusing on film production and screenwriting, Chism is 19 years old and weighs 361 pounds. He has been involved in theater and the performing arts, but his weight has affected the types of roles he is given. He has also noticed significant problems in the past year stemming from his weight, and he knows he shouldn't be having these issues at his young age. He wants to get healthy so he can keep up with people his age, and participate in activities like skydiving, rock climbing and playing sports.