WATCH: Valeria Levitina, Reported World's Skinniest Woman, Opens Up About Her Condition

by UInterviewJanuary 7, 2013, 12:00 amNews >

Valeria Levitina, 39, of Moscow recently made headlines as the skinniest woman in the world, weighing only 55 lbs.

Levitina, who is studying for the dual degree of Doctor of Business Administration and Ph.D in Economics, is being called "a living mummy" by reporters, and her own mother calls her "a live corpse," reports Russia's Pravda magazine. Valeria's serious problems with anorexia began in her twenties after dieting to be more attractive and appealing to men.

At one point, Levitina reportedly went on a picnic where she played football with some friends, when she reportedly heard one team member say, "I know how we can win. We need to make Valeria's ass a goalkeeper."

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"That phrase shattered my whole world and existence," Levitina said, and shortly after she began to diet and drop weight, a goal that quickly became an obsession and led to depression. She also ascribes some of her problems to her relationship with her mother. "It could have been easier for me if I had had support and help," she said. "I was alone. My relationship with my mother was not very good. She never approved the men I would date and we often had fights."

After living in the United States for 23 years, Levitina has now moved back to Russia, where she says she would like to stay. Consuming food is a chore for Levitina, as she has problems with digestion. "I like shrimp, but never frozen," she revealed about her eating habits. "I never eat frozen food. The shrimp here is always fresh, they bring it here every day," she said. "I eat a variety of vegetables. My fridge is small because the apartment is tiny, so I go food shopping every day. For proteins I prefer rabbit."

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Levitina's appearance has made it difficult for her to get close to anyone, as people generally do not approach her. Even so, she dreams of sharing her life with someone and even having a child. While her condition makes her unable to have a baby, she has reportedly considered surrogacy.

Watch the video of Levitina talking about her ailment here: