At 39 years old and just four stone, Monaco’s Valeria Levitin is widely recognized as the world’s thinnest woman. Her skeletal appearance exemplifies the dangers of developing an eating disorder. Valeria is disturbed by the fact that young women want to imitate her skeletal appearance and has said, “I’m not going to teach young girls how to die.”

Her mother’s preoccupation with her weight was a major factor in the onset of her anorexic disorder when she was a teenager. Valeria, who was 16 when she arrived to Chicago and wanted to fit in, went on a strict diet in an attempt to do so. She tried her hand at modeling later in life, but was often discouraged because of her weight. At the age of 24, when she weighed only six stone, she was told that dancing was too dangerous for her.

Valeria’s condition has gotten so bad that she can’t even remember what bread tastes like. She is motivated to overcome her anorexia and help others who are struggling by sharing her story and encouraging them to get treatment.