Donna Simpson holds the Guinness World Record for the world's fattest mother.[1][Milo notes: Technically, some press reports in March 2010 said she had only applied for the record, though many press sources claimed she already has the record.] When she gave birth by cesarean section in 2007, she weighed 530 pounds. The delivery required the assistance of 30 hospital staff.[2]
She is now attempting to attain a weight of 1,000 pounds.[3][2]
In 2010 at the age of 42, Simpson was living in New Jersey, and was eating 12,000 calories per day in a deliberate attempt to gain enough weight to reach 1,000 pounds. Her $750 weekly food bill was being funded by a website where men pay money so they can watch her eat.[2] As of March 2010, she weighed 600 pounds.[4][5] She is 5 feet 4 inches tall.[6]
Despite getting around on a mobility scooter, Simpson claims that she is healthy.[7]
Simpson's favorite food is sushi.[3]
References
^1 The super-sized 43st mother who is determined to become the world's fattest, Mail Online4, March 15, 2010
^2 a b c World's fattest mom, San Francisco Chronicle, March 15, 2010
^3 a b NJ woman attempting to become world's fattest lady, The New York Post, March 15, 2010
^4 New Jersey Woman Aiming to Become Fattest Woman in the World, New York magazine, March 15, 2010
^5 1,000lb Woman's Fans Pay To Watch Her Eat! (Video), The Young Turks (March 17, 2010), Retrieved March 18, 2010
^6 "Little 'n Large: THE world's fattest woman meets the world's smallest". The Sun (newspaper). February 18, 2010. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2858127/Worlds-fattest-woman-meets-worlds-smallest.html. Retrieved March 16, 2010. ("Donna stands at 5ft 4in", and photo of Simpson with Jyoti Amge)
^7 Quest to become world's fattest woman, The Press, March 15, 2010
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Analysis of Wikipedia's deletion, for wikigeeks only:
This article was nominated for deletion from wikipedia on March 15, 2010. The article was very new, as it had just been created in the wake of a juggernaut of press coverage about Ms. Simpson. This is really not unusual -- whenever you see some odd person all over the newspapers, go to wikipedia and see whether they have an article. Chances are they they either (1) have an article already nominated for deletion, (2) there is evidence that an article existed which is already deleted, or (3) the name redirects to some other (hopefully related) page.
The primary argument in favor of deletion of Ms. Simpson was "BLP1E" which means, in English, that the article is a biography of a living person who is known for one event. However, it is worth noting that wikipedia has tons of articles on people who are known for nothing other than an alleged world record. Robert Earl Hughes, for example, was the heaviest human during the 1950s, and who I remember well via old Guinness books I read as a kid. Other than being a nice guy who just happened to be really huge, there's not much to say about him. But loads has been written about him--not much different than Donna's Simpson's case today. Unless you romanticize the past. Thus Mary Toft, who claimed she gave birth to rabbits in 1726 causing a flurry of press at the time, has a long wikipedia article, and Donna Simpson does not. I am sure the Mary Toft story was as unseemly in 1726 as Donna Simpson is in 2010. But that doesn't mean Wikipedia shouldn't cover it.
Interestingly, a number of casual editors piped in during the deletion discussion of Ms. Simpson to say she should be kept, but the "deletes" had their way on this one. The wikipedia malcontents over at Wikipedia Review were in favor of deletion as well. Of course, Donna Simpson herself was clearly trolling for press coverage, as she is a member of an erotic website featuring large women, and more attention means more paying subscribers. Its very unlikely that she really intends (or could) attain 1,000 pounds. But I am sure she welcomed the press frenzy. The article was quite popular during its brief existence:
One day you will recall Donna's story and press frenzy and try to google for it, but I guess you won't find it on wikipedia. You will, however, find a massive article on Balloon Boy.
UPDATE June 14, 2010: Donna lives! A new wikipedia article on Donna Simpson was created on May 22, 2010, and was nominated again for deletion, but this time it survived as a "keep". How does one explain wikipedia's change of heart? Simply that different people showed up at the deletion discussion this time.
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