Valeria Levitin, known as the world’s thinnest woman, weighs just four stone after years of extreme dieting, which is much less than what’s healthy for her height of 5ft 8in. According to NHS guidelines, she should ideally weigh between 9 and 12 stone. Despite her fragile look, Valeria is determined to warn others against trying to be as thin as she is, emphasizing the importance of taking care of your health.
At 39, Valeria bravely talks about her battle with anorexia, hoping her story will help others avoid going down the same road. In an interview with The Sun, she shares that she often gets emails from young women in their twenties asking her how to lose weight like she did. Valeria refuses to encourage this, saying that her condition is a path to self-destruction.
Valeria’s struggle with an eating disorder began in her teenage years, and now she speaks out against anorexia. She openly discusses how the illness has affected her life and is determined to help others avoid making the same mistakes.
Valeria says her problems started when her mother became worried that she might become overweight, leading to strict dieting rules from a young age. Her mother’s desire for perfection included constantly checking Valeria’s weight to make sure she didn’t gain any extra pounds.
At 16, after moving to Chicago with her parents, Valeria weighed 10 stone. She thought that losing weight would help her fit in at her new school and make friends. This belief made her cut even more from her diet, including sugar and carbohydrates.
Ironically, after avoiding certain foods for so long, Valeria’s body can no longer handle them. This has made it hard for her to eat certain things. A mean comment from a classmate about her body only made her more determined to lose weight.
Recalling a painful memory, Valeria said, “We were playing football, and someone said, ‘I know how we can win. We need to put Valeria’s big behind in the goal’. That comment shattered my world.”
By the age of 23, Valeria’s dress size dropped from a healthy size 12 to a size 6. When she tried to become a model, things got worse because she was told she was still too heavy. By 24, Valeria weighed only six stone and was advised to stop dancing due to the risk of injuries.
Over the next decade, Valeria saw more than 30 health specialists, reaching a dangerous low of 3 stone 10 pounds. Even today, she can’t eat certain foods because of how severely they affect her body. She’s gone so long without bread that she can’t even remember what it tastes like.
Valeria’s condition has led to a lonely life. She hasn’t had a relationship in ten years and finds it difficult to do normal couple activities like going out to eat.
Now, Valeria hopes that traditional medical treatment can help her regain her health, though she believes the real issue is a “lack of harmony between body and soul.”
To manage her condition, Valeria relies on supplements to reduce the risk of bruising and avoids situations where she might fall. She’s thinking about returning to Moscow, where she feels more at peace, to pursue her dream of becoming a mother through surrogacy.
Valeria believes that wanting to have a child could be the motivation she needs to regain her health. She remains hopeful that she can get better while working towards her goal of becoming a mother.
In a heartfelt statement, Valeria said, “I would love to have a family because I feel I have so much to give. But obviously, it wouldn’t be right to have a baby when I am ill. It wouldn’t be fair to the child. I want to stand up to anorexia. I’ve never given up on anything in my life, and I’m not about to give up now.