For most of us, a slender waist is the product of a careful diet and plenty of exercise. But not for Michele Kobke, 24.
The Berliner has shrunk her waist from 25in (64cm) to just 16in (40cm) by wearing a corset every day for three years – even while sleeping.
And despite now having a waist smaller than most catwalk models, the German slimmer says she hopes to whittle her waist down to a shocking 14inches (38cm).
Change: Michele in 2008, when her waist was 25 inches, and now, with a waist that is ten inches smaller
‘It embraces me and gives me [a] pretty, defined waist,’ she revealed. It feels nice and smooth. It’s unique.’
But Michele’s tiny waist could prove to have serious consequences for her health, and already, she struggles to stand up without her corset, thanks to wasted muscles in her back and stomach.
Her stomach is so constricted, she can’t eat a normal meal and instead eats up to 10 small meals a day.
Not that she’s concerned: ‘My life hasn’t changed, just slowed down a little,’ she reveals. ‘Now my movement is more feminine.
‘Right now I’m a little breathless, changing corsets is like a high-performance sport for me’
Tiny though Kobke’s waist is, the record for the world’s tiniest midriff is held by another – American Cathie Jung, whose waist measures just under 15in (38cm).
By comparison, the average British woman has a waist that measures 33.43in (84.9cm) – equivalent to a dress size 14.
