Rosalie Bradford

Rosalie Bradford (August 27, 1943 – November 29, 2006) was an American who held the Guinness World Record as the world's heaviest woman.

Weight Gain

In her early 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 Watchers 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 measured at 1,053 pounds (478 kg) in January 1987. In 1988, she became so depressed and frustrated that she attempted to commit suicide with painkillers, although, due to her weight, these only made her sleep for a couple of days.

Weight Loss

A concerned friend contacted Richard Simmons, 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 pounds (190 kg). Eventually she got some more outside help from a physiotherapist and soon her weight dropped to 500 pounds (230 kg), a total weight loss of 553 pounds (251 kg). Bradford persisted with her weight-loss plan and eventually reduced her weight to under 300 pounds (140 kg), claiming a total weight loss of 768 pounds (348 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.

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.

• Weight: 1,053 pounds (478 kg)
• BMI: 169
• Height: 5 foot 6 inches (1.68 m)