Heartbreaking Tale Of 'World's Thinnest Woman' Campaigning Against Anorexia In Bid To Save Others
Weighing in at just 56 pounds, a deeply sick anorexic woman who has been described as the "world's thinnest woman," has expressed her horror over being portrayed by some as a role model for young girls striving to be skinny.
Valeria Levitin, 39, who is originally from Russia but now lives in Monaco, suffers from such an extreme form of the eating disorder that she appears to be nothing but leathery skin draped over a skeleton. After struggling with the potentially deadly disease that is literally wasting her body away, the 5'8" brunette is now campaigning against the devastating disorder in the hope of saving the lives of others.
"I am not going to teach them how to die. It is not a game, it is not a joke, it is your life," she said, reported the HuffPo UK. "I want to share my story to help sufferers and their families from repeating my fate." When you look at photos, it is hard to believe that the pretty, curvy 19-year-old basking in the sun in Mexico 20 years ago is the same person that is now wasting away day by day with a bikini barely clinging to her bones. "Anorexia has made me lonely, unattractive and repulsive for the people around me," she revealed. "My eating disorder has robbed me of so much. People don't want to be around someone who is not in a good mood or not upbeat."
Valeria Levitin: The World's Thinnest Woman Warns Girls About Extreme Dieting
39 year old Valeria Levitin, who is considered the world's thinnest woman, tries to warn girls about the dangers of extreme dieting
I saw Valeria first time by the pool in Monaco,Monte Carlo two years ago.I still remember the shock of that moment… I was mesmerized by the person in front of me or better said “the dead walking ” in front of me… After the shock passed I had the strongest feeling to run to her and hug her,to listen to her story and find a way to help her. Something stopped me…. the idea that maybe she’ll get it wrong,that maybe my reaction could scared her,the person near me, telling me to stop staring at her…. But really how could everybody be so calm and cool like everything was ok when in one corner of the pool was sunbathing the skeletal system from the anatomy class back in school?!Are we so egocentric that we don’t see the suffering around us?
The story of Valeria came out in the media at the end of last month,as her wish to help others do understand that anorexia is a serious issue.She also happens to be one of the saddest and loneliest women in the world. She is fighting for her life, but because of websites that encourage the anorexic lifestyle, she has become an unwitting idol of many teen girls – and even gets fan mail regularly.
Levitin was originally from Russia but now lives in Monaco,
Radar Online notes. She reportedly suffers from an extreme form of anorexia. At 5ft 8in, she should weigh between 9st and 12st, according to NHS advice. Instead, she is a tiny 4st 3lbs, less than half of what her lightest healthy weight should be. Her skin resembles the look of leather and appears to be merely draped over her tiny skeleton.She battled the possibly deadly disease that caused her body to begin wasting away. Experiencing daily physical pain has not deterred Valeria from continuing with her campaign to educate young girls about the dangers of becoming anorexic in an attempt to save the suffering of others.
Sad Story Of The Thinnest Woman In The World
This is the desperately sad story of the thinnest woman in the world who weighs just four stone after years of extreme dieting
But rather than feel sorry for herself, Valeria Levitin says her emaciated figure should be a severe wake-up call for girls wanting matchstick-thin figures. At 5ft 8in, she should weigh between 9st and 12st, according to NHS advice. Instead, she is a tiny 4st 3lbs, less than half of what her lightest healthy weight should be. Valeria Levitin is a walking skeleton after years of anorexia reduced her weight to just four stone.
Valeria aged 19, on holiday in Mexico. She developed the eating disorder as a teenager and has now chosen to speak out about how the illness has ruined her life. What is most worrying is that Valeria, originally from Russia but who now lives in Monaco, says she gets fan mail from girls desperate to copy her skeletal look. The 39-year-old told The Sun: ‘I have received emails from young girls who want me to teach them how to be like me. ‘All the letters I’ve had are from women, mainly in their twenties, who see me as some kind of inspiration.’ As a result, she has taken the brave step to speak out about her condition and campaign against anorexia – and says she refuses to teach young girls how to die.
Valeria, here aged 11, believes the roots of her condition lie with her mother, who was terrified she would grow up obese like her relatives. Valeria, who developed her eating disorder as a teenager, has chosen to speak out about how the illness has ruined her life. She says she wants to share her story to prevent other people falling victim to the same fate, saying anorexia has made her ‘lonely, unattractive and repulsive for the people around me’. She believes the roots of her condition lie with her mother, who was terrified Valeria would grow up obese like her relatives. Even as a young child, her diet was curtailed.
related: Lizze Velasquez
