Mikel Ruffinelli

Some Lesser Known Facts About Mikel Ruffinelli

• Mikel Ruffinelli is an American plus-size model who is known for her hips which measure an unusual 8 feet i.e. 2.4 m in circumference. She made headlines in 2013 for setting the record for the widest hip in the world.

• She spent her childhood in Los Angeles.

  

• Mikel wasn’t always a plus-sized woman. During her teenage years, she maintained an active lifestyle and weighed 140 pounds. However, after giving birth to her first child, Andrew, at the age of 22, she started gaining weight. Initially, she was 182 pounds and wore a size 14, but over time, her weight increased to 238 pounds, and she wore a size 18.Over time, she became a mother to three daughters, and with each childbirth, her weight and hips continued to expand. During an interview, she revealed that her family had a genetic predisposition to wide hips, as her mother also had this trait. Additionally, she disclosed that she is affected by a medical condition known as Lipoedema, which contributes to her weight distribution. She also suffers from high blood pressure and arthritis.

  

• In 2013, she gained popularity for setting the record for the widest hip in the world after TLC’s documentary “World’s Biggest Hips” showcased her.

• As a plus-size model, Ruffinelli makes $1,000 per shoot modeling for a Big Beautiful Women website. ^[7]DailyMail Apart from that, she is also a BBW Fashion Consultant.

  

• In 2013, she made an appearance on the American syndicated talk show “The Doctors,” a program where medical experts assess patients and provide medical advice.

  

• In 2015, she recreated her wedding and appeared in a short documentary on TLC depicting her challenges in finding a conventional wedding dress that could accommodate her hips’ size.

• Due to her body size, Mikel opts to drive a truck as she finds it difficult to fit into a regular car. At home, she uses a reinforced chair that can support her weight, and when traveling by plane, she books two tickets to accommodate her unique frame. Negotiating through door entrances is often a challenge, and she typically manages to pass through them sideways. Additionally, her sleeping arrangements necessitate a 7-foot-wide bed at home to ensure comfort.

• Her extraordinarily wide hips often subject her to ridicule from people. In an interview, she revealed that strangers would take pictures of her using their cell phones wherever she went. However, with the passage of time, she became more accustomed to the constant stares and sarcastic remarks from others. She mentioned that she learned to ignore the negativity and has come to embrace her uniqueness, even stating that she loves being one-of-a-kind. In an interview, she said,
  

  I don’t want to get bigger, but I don’t want to lose my curves. I look great. I hope I inspire women to think, “She’s happy with her body and I can be too!”

• She consumes 3,000 calories a day. ^[8]DailyMail In an interview, while talking about her daily diet she said,
  

  It sounds like a lot to have 3,000 calories, but for someone my size, it’s not really. I have a breakfast of two eggs with sausage and bacon and a handful of potatoes. Lunch is fried fish and French fries, but dinner’s my big meal. I like to make barbecue chicken with rice or mash. I have a big portion – but I’m not greedy. I snack on peanuts, granola bars and crisps.”

• She occasionally consumes alcoholic beverages.