Rosalie Bradford
Encyclopedia
Rosalie Bradford holds the Guinness World Record for most weight lost by a woman.
,” due apparently to depression
. Abandoned by her mother, she had been in foster care
, and after the death of her foster mother she used food as a way to cope. As the years passed she continued to gain weight. At age 14, she weighed 202 lb
(92 kg
). At 15, she weighed 309 lb (140 kg).
with little success.
Finally, after a blood infection landed her in the hospital, Bradford gave up on exercise altogether when the necessary bed rest allowed for her weight gain to accelerate. She remained immobile for eight years. She reached a peak weight of 1,199 lb (544 kg) in January 1987. In 1988, she became so depressed and frustrated that she attempted to commit suicide
with painkillers.
, 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.
She 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’s plan. After a year she had dropped 420 lb (190 kg). Eventually she got some more outside help from a physiotherapist and soon her weight dropped to 500 lb (226 kg), a total weight loss of 699 lb (317 kg). Bradford persisted with her weight-loss plan and eventually reduced her weight to under 300 lb (136 kg), claiming a total weight loss of 917 lb (416 kg). The lymphatic system
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
giving advice to Patrick Deuel
. The episode was first broadcast in August 2007.
for having lost the most weight by a woman. She died on November 29, 2006 at a hospital in Lakeland
(near to her Auburndale, Florida
home). She was 63 years old, and was survived by her husband Robert Bradford and son Robbie.
Early life
Ever since childhood Rosalie Bradford was what she herself termed a “foodaholicCompulsive overeaters
Compulsive overeating, also sometimes called food addiction, is characterized by an obsessive/compulsive relationship to food. Professionals address this with either a behavior-modification model or a food-addiction model...
,” due apparently to depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
. Abandoned by her mother, she had been in foster care
Foster care
Foster care is the term used for a system in which a minor who has been made a ward is placed in the private home of a state certified caregiver referred to as a "foster parent"....
, and after the death of her foster mother she used food as a way to cope. As the years passed she continued to gain weight. At age 14, she weighed 202 lb
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
(92 kg
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
). At 15, she weighed 309 lb (140 kg).
Weight gain
In her twenties she met a man and they were 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 WatchersWeight Watchers
Weight Watchers is an international company that offers various dieting products and services to assist weight loss and maintenance. Founded in 1963 by Brooklyn homemaker Jean Nidetch, it operates in about 30 countries around the world, generally under names that are local translations of “Weight...
with little success.
Finally, after a blood infection landed her in the hospital, Bradford gave up on exercise altogether when the necessary bed rest allowed for her weight gain to accelerate. She remained immobile for eight years. She reached a peak weight of 1,199 lb (544 kg) in January 1987. In 1988, she became so depressed and frustrated that she attempted to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
with painkillers.
Weight loss
A concerned friend contacted Richard SimmonsRichard Simmons
Milton Teagle Simmons , known professionally as Richard Simmons, is an American fitness personality who promotes weight-loss programs, most famously through his Sweatin' to the Oldies line of aerobics videos and DVDs and is known for his eccentric, outgoing and frequently flamboyant personality...
, 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.
She 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’s plan. After a year she had dropped 420 lb (190 kg). Eventually she got some more outside help from a physiotherapist and soon her weight dropped to 500 lb (226 kg), a total weight loss of 699 lb (317 kg). Bradford persisted with her weight-loss plan and eventually reduced her weight to under 300 lb (136 kg), claiming a total weight loss of 917 lb (416 kg). The lymphatic system
Lymphatic system
The lymphoid system is the part of the immune system comprising a network of conduits called lymphatic vessels that carry a clear fluid called lymph unidirectionally toward the heart. Lymphoid tissue is found in many organs, particularly the lymph nodes, and in the lymphoid follicles associated...
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
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
television programme BodyShock
BodyShock
BodyShock is a sensationalistic documentary series about the conditions or lives of extraordinary people. It was originally produced by redback for Channel 4 in the UK, but since September 2006, it has been carried by ArkMedia....
giving advice to Patrick Deuel
Patrick Deuel
Patrick D. Deuel , was one of the heaviest people in the world. He was the subject of the documentary "Half Ton Man" in Channel Four's BodyShock series, in which Rosalie Bradford gave advice after achieving a record-breaking weight loss of .Deuel is a former restaurant manager...
. The episode was first broadcast in August 2007.
Death
Rosalie Bradford posthumously continues to hold the world recordGuinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
for having lost the most weight by a woman. She died on November 29, 2006 at a hospital in Lakeland
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
(near to her Auburndale, Florida
Auburndale, Florida
Auburndale is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,032 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 12,381...
home). She was 63 years old, and was survived by her husband Robert Bradford and son Robbie.
Statistics
- WeightWeightIn science and engineering, the weight of an object is the force on the object due to gravity. Its magnitude , often denoted by an italic letter W, is the product of the mass m of the object and the magnitude of the local gravitational acceleration g; thus:...
: 1199.3 lbs (544 kg) - BMIBody mass indexThe body mass index , or Quetelet index, is a heuristic proxy for human body fat based on an individual's weight and height. BMI does not actually measure the percentage of body fat. It was invented between 1830 and 1850 by the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet during the course of developing...
: 193.6 - HeightHeightHeight is the measurement of vertical distance, but has two meanings in common use. It can either indicate how "tall" something is, or how "high up" it is. For example "The height of the building is 50 m" or "The height of the airplane is 10,000 m"...
: 5 foot 6 inches (1.69 m)