Monday, January 21, 2013

  Largest hips: Mikel Ruffinelli sets world record (VIDEO)

LOS ANGELES, CA, USA -- Mikel Ruffinelli, 39, of Los Angeles, Calif., a 420-pound mother of four who measures a staggering eight-foot in circumference, at just five-foot-four, sets the new world record for the Largest hips, according to the World Record Academy: www.worldrecordacademy.com/.

  Photo: Plus-size model and part-time carer Mikel Ruffinelli, whose hips measure more than eight feet in circumference, says she has no plans to lose weight. With husband Reggie and daughters (l-r) Autumn, Destynee and Justyce. ( enlarge photo )

The Guinness world record for the heaviest living woman was set by Pauline Potter with 643 lbs.

Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the Tallest woman (living), set by Yao Defen (China), who recorded an average height of 233.3 cm (7 ft 7 in) when last documented.

   The mother of four's amazing natural 100-inch curves mean she struggles to get through doorways — and needs two seats on planes.

  Mikel, 39, drives a truck because her more than 400-pound frame cannot squeeze into a car; she also needs a reinforced chair at home.

  Yet the plus-size model – only 140 pounds as a teenager — is proud of her figure and does not want to lose weight, even though she often attracts jeers.

   "Everywhere I go I get attention for my hips — both good and bad," Mikel said.

  "When I walk down the street, I can hear the shutters going on camera phones and people laughing at me…Some people assume I've had surgery to enhance my…hips, but it's all natural. I think that it's the result of having four children, but large hips also run in my family."

  Mikel was a normal-sized youngster and even in her early 20s tipped the scales at around 180 pounds.

  But at 22, she put on more than 50 pounds after having first child Andrew, now 18. And after daughters Destynee, 13, Autumn, 8, and Justyce, 7, followed, her weight and hips ballooned further.

  But despite her curves she stands at just 5 feet 4 inches and has a proportionally small 40-inch waist.