Catrina Raiford Explained

Catrina Raiford is an American woman who was once considered to be the heaviest woman in the world,^[1] weighing 955lb^[2] on a 5feet frame.^[3]

At age 14, she weighed close to 500lb. Her family placed her for eight months in a psychiatric home. As an adult, Raiford continued to gain weight. Unable to deal with her emotional issues, she eventually lost her job and moved back in with her mother.^[4]

Raiford became known as the 'Half Tonne Woman'^[4] before she lost half her body weight.^[5] She was inspired to do that in December 2003, when she had to be “bulldozed out of [her] house” after calling for help due to breathing difficulties.^[6] For five years until that point she had been bedridden.^[6]

It took Raiford three years to lose close to 300lb.^[7] Following that accomplishment in 2005 she became eligible for the gastric bypass surgery and has lost a total of close to 500lb.^[6]

Notes and References

1. News: Former 'world's fattest woman' defies all odds and loses 36 stone. 2015-10-19. Metro. 2018-05-03. en-GB.
2. News: Catrina Raiford: Read the amazing weight loss story of the World"s fattest woman. Egbo. Vwovwe. 2018-05-03. en-US.
3. News: 'World's fattest woman' loses 32 stone, buys her first bikini. Ryan. Órla. TheJournal.ie. 2018-05-03. en.
4. News: Former world's fattest woman has shed more than 500 lbs. — read her first ever interview . NY Daily News. 2018-05-16. en-US.
5. Web site: Former World’s Fattest Woman Catrina Raiford Loses Half Her Body Weight ▷ Naija News. www.naijanews.com. en-GB. 2018-05-03.
6. Web site: Weight Loss Success Story Sun Coast Bariatrics, St Petersburg FL. suncoastbariatrics.com. 2018-05-03.
7. News: 1,000 Pound Woman Loses Half Her Weight: "I’m So Much Happier Now". 2015-10-22. Black America Web. 2018-05-03. en-US.