Ken struggled with weight his whole life, but became obese at the age of 20, and thinks that was largely due to emotional eating stemming from a difficult childhood. He was born in Canoga Park, California, and grew up in Page, Arizona with his parents and younger brother. He graduated from Bethany University in Santa Cruz, California with a bachelor's degree, and received a master's degree from Fuller Seminary in Pasadena. Ken's primary motivation for going on the show is his son, Austin. He says, "I don't want him to have to live his life with the same difficulties I have faced." He also wants to save his own life, especially after a near-death experience two years ago after which his health declined further, leaving him with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. He tried stomach stapling in 1989, which was revised to a gastric bypass in 1997, but neither was successful in helping him lose and keep off the weight. Married, 377 pounds and the father of three children, the 49-year-old pastor looks forward to playing softball and riding all the rides at Disneyland after he loses weight.