Rosalie Bradford (August 27, 1943 – November 29, 2006) was an American woman who held the
Guinness World Record
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
as the world's
heaviest woman.
Weight gain
In her early twenties she met a man whom she married. The couple eventually had a son. Bradford found herself staying home with their son and cooking a lot. Her weight continued to accelerate uncontrollably, as did her appetite. She eventually tried several diets and joined
Weight Watchers Weight Watchers or WW may refer to:
* Weight Watchers (diet), a comprehensive weight loss program and diet
* WW International
WW International, Inc., formerly Weight Watchers International, Inc., is a global company headquartered in the U.S. tha ...
with little success.
Finally, after a blood infection landed her in the hospital, Bradford gave up on
exercise
Exercise is a body activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness.
It is performed for various reasons, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardiovascular system, hone athletic ...
altogether when the necessary bed rest allowed for her weight gain to accelerate. She remained immobile for eight years. She measured at in January 1987. In 1988, she became so depressed and frustrated that she attempted to commit
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
with
painkillers, although, due to her weight, these only made her sleep for a couple of days.
[7 Most Astonishing Stories Of Successful Weight Loss]
PR Log press release, Jan 09, 2010
Weight loss
A concerned friend contacted
Richard Simmons,
[8 Amazing Weight Loss Stories]
Oddee.com a familiar face in the
weight-loss industry. Simmons then contacted Bradford and spoke to her at length. She recalled Simmons saying “God doesn’t make junk and you are worth the effort.” After the phone call she received a package from him containing some exercise tapes and an eating plan.
[ at RosalieBradford.com]
Bradford started small by clapping her hands along to the videos. "It was the only movement I could do," she explained.
[ She focused on her diet and stuck to Simmons’ plan. After a year she had dropped . Eventually she got some more outside help from a physiotherapist and soon her weight dropped to , a total weight loss of . Bradford persisted with her weight-loss plan and eventually reduced her weight to , claiming a total weight loss of .][ at RosalieBradford.com] The lymphatic system
The lymphatic system, or lymphoid system, is an organ system in vertebrates that is part of the immune system, and complementary to the circulatory system. It consists of a large network of lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, lymphatic or lymphoid o ...
in her legs was damaged in one of five surgeries to remove excess skin left by her weight loss.[
Bradford appeared on the Channel 4 television programme '']BodyShock
''Body Shock'' (also: Bodyshock) is a British medical documentary series about the conditions or lives of extraordinary people. It was originally produced by redback for Channel 4 in the UK, but in September 2006, it was taken over by ArkMedia. ...
'' giving advice to Patrick Deuel
Patrick Darren Deuel (March 28, 1962 – April 29, 2016) was an American individual known for being one of the heaviest people in the world. He was the subject of the documentary "Half Ton Man" in Channel 4's '' BodyShock'' series. In the docu ...
.Half Ton Man
''BodyShock
''Body Shock'' (also: Bodyshock) is a British medical documentary series about the conditions or lives of extraordinary people. It was originally produced by redback for Channel 4 in the UK, but in September 2006, it was taken over by ArkMedia. ...
'', Channel 4 The episode was first broadcast in August 2007.
Death
Rosalie Bradford died on November 29, 2006 at a hospital in Lakeland[ (near her Auburndale, Florida home). She was 63 years old, and was survived by her husband Bob Bradford and son Robbie.][ She lost the world record of having lost the most weight by a woman to Mayra Rosales in 2013.
]
Statistics
* Weight: 1200 pounds (544 kg)
* BMI: 193.7
* Height: 5 foot 6 inches (1.68 m)
Sources
See also
* List of the heaviest people
* Obesity
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bradford, Rosalie
1943 births
2006 deaths
People from Auburndale, Florida