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.
Listener email says:
"Yes these images are shocking and they do affect all of us– but – My sister died 11 years ago from the complications of Anorexia. The parents wanting these pictures removed are hoping in some way to white wash the world from the horrible world of Anorexia just like every parent wants to wash the world of the world of guns or high calorie food. Because we desperately want to fix everything for everyone. And we desperately want to remove any possible thing that could in any possible way hurt any possible person with any possible person with any possible mental illness. But so very sadly we cannot. I am raising my sister’s precious daughter who became my precious daughter when my dear sister died. These images help her comprehend, help her wrap her mind around the reality that her mother starved herself to death. We cannot fix all of this easily. But people need to see this. Hiding this will never help. Ever. There is not one single solitary day I wake up that I don’t cry over the loss of my beautiful sister. Every single solitary day I would give literally everything I have – I mean everything. Really Every Thing. I would give to fix or help what was broken in her. I spent every hour of every day with her until she got with a man who saw her mental illness and worked on her and convinced her he was santa and her family was satin and a few years later she was dead.It is critical these images are not hidden away. I feel for the person angry about these pictures. But young girls need to see what Karen Carpenter didn’t see in the 70’s. Good grief – it is 2012. My undiagnosed anorexic sister and I watched the Karen Carpenter story together. I had no I clue she had any mental illness tendency. And she was horrified by the movie. And she developed anorexia. Hiding the problem never fixes the problem. We all want there to be some fix to prevent these things but the truth is there is no fix. A mother and father of a young girl that can see a young woman who thinks she looks good being way way way too thin, and can show the result of this terribly tormented sole as an adult, can use these images of a person who has now become incapable
of becoming healthy or sexy to help, possibly, stop our tender young girls from following in the paths of these terribly tormented souls. Who the hell are we to ever decide to censor that? I’m stunned – honestly stunned – any new media would ever think that is right or just or valid. I’m totally stunned you would ever think. Ever sic(of) Taking these pictures down is in any way right or just or helpful.
KFI Listener
Bill Carroll will speak to Carolyn Costin at 1:20 p.m. Learn more about her here.
Check out Monte Nido Eating Disorder Treatment Center
