Who is the skinniest person in the world? The name most often given is Valeria Levitin, a Russian-born woman who lived in Monaco and, at her lowest, weighed about 25 kg (55 lb) from severe anorexia. She died in 2013. Below are her story and six other people known for extreme thinness — most from rare medical conditions, not choice.
There is no official “world’s skinniest person” record. Guinness World Records refuses to certify one, because ranking extreme thinness can encourage eating disorders. The people below are known through news coverage and medical case studies, and several of their conditions stop the body from storing fat at all.
Skinniest people in the world
1. Lizzie Velásquez
Elizabeth Anne Velásquez is an American motivational speaker, author, and YouTuber. She was born on 13 March 1989 in Austin, Texas, with a rare condition — Marfanoid–progeroid–lipodystrophy syndrome — that stops her body from storing fat.
Velásquez has never weighed more than about 29 kg (64 lb), and she eats small meals through the day to hold her weight. The condition also affects her eyesight. She has turned her experience into a career, speaking at hundreds of events and campaigning against bullying since she was a teenager.
2. Ioana Spangenberg
Ioana Spangenberg (often written “Loana”) is a Romanian model who weighs about 38 kg (84 lb) and has a 20-inch (50 cm) waist. Her 32-20-32 figure earned her the nickname “Human Hourglass.”
Spangenberg says her shape is natural, not the result of starvation. In interviews she has explained that she eats three meals a day and has tried to gain weight without success — doctors link her thinness to a fast metabolism.
3. Tom Staniford
Tom Staniford is a British para-cyclist, born 1 July 1989. He has MDP syndrome, a condition so rare that only about 16 people worldwide are known to have it. It stops his body from storing fat under the skin.
Despite this, Staniford became a champion, winning the National Para-Cycling Circuit Race in 2011.
4. Valeria Levitin
Valeria Levitin was often called the world’s thinnest woman. Russian-born, she lived in Monaco and, at her lowest, weighed about 25 kg (55 lb) at a height of 5 feet 8 inches.
Her anorexia began with extreme dieting, and she was never able to regain the weight. She spent her later years warning young women about the dangers of extreme dieting. She died in 2013, aged 39, from complications of the illness.
5. Cathie Jung
Cathie Jung was an American tightlacing enthusiast who held the Guinness World Record for the smallest waist on a living person — 15 inches (38.1 cm). Born on 15 March 1937, she first wore a corset on her wedding day in 1959 and wore one almost every day after.
At 28 her waist was 64 cm; through decades of corset-wearing she reduced it to 15 inches. She held the record from 1999 until her death on 19 August 2025, aged 88.
6. Michele Köbke
Michele Köbke, a German woman, cinched her waist down to about 16 inches (40 cm) by wearing a corset almost around the clock. Unlike the others here, her shape came from tightlacing, not a medical condition.
Doctors warned that the practice could harm her organs. She later stopped, and her waist returned to a more typical size.
FAQ
Who is the skinniest person in the world?
The name most often cited is Valeria Levitin, who weighed about 25 kg (55 lb) at her lowest because of severe anorexia. There is no official record, as Guinness World Records does not certify a “skinniest person” title.
Does Guinness World Records have a skinniest-person record?
No. Guinness declined to create the category on ethical grounds, as it could encourage eating disorders. It does recognise Cathie Jung’s smallest-waist record.
What causes extreme thinness?
It can come from genetic conditions that stop the body storing fat (like MDP syndrome), eating disorders such as anorexia, a very fast metabolism, malabsorption, or lack of food.
What are the health risks of being severely underweight?
- Weak bones (osteoporosis)
- Skin, hair, and teeth problems
- Frequent illness and a weak immune system
- Constant tiredness and anaemia
- Irregular or absent periods
These stories show that extreme thinness is usually a health condition, not a lifestyle — and they deserve empathy, not judgement.
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