The Woman Who Wants to Weigh 2,000 Pounds—and the Global Outrage Surrounding Her
Susanne Eman wants to become the heaviest woman in history. The current record stands at 1,600 pounds. The 32-year-old from Arizona consumes 20,000 calories a day, hoping to reach half of her target by the end of December.
After that, she plans to increase her caloric intake even more. “I’d love to find out if it’s humanly possible to reach a ton,” she says. She is not exaggerating—she truly hopes to weigh 2,000 pounds.
According to the Daily Mail online report, Susanne goes grocery shopping once a month with her sons, Gabriel, 16, and Brendin, 12, often spending up to eight hours filling six shopping carts. “It’s like a full day’s work,” said Susanne, who uses a motorized scooter to get around the store.
Surprisingly, Susanne believes she can remain healthy. “The bigger I get, the better I feel,” she claims. “I feel more confident and sexy. Why shouldn’t I push the limits and see how fat I can get and stay healthy?”
“Two years ago, I reached 400 pounds because I was losing my battle against weight gain,” she said. “I noticed I was attracting more men, and it made me feel good.”
Because of her size, Susanne is unable to work. To stay active, she says, “I go for a waddle and do stretches and exercises every day. My muscles need to support my weight, so I have to stay strong. I take my blood pressure weekly, and every day after exercising, I check my vitals. I use a pulse oximeter to track oxygen levels in my bloodstream. And I check my blood sugar, just like a diabetic. If any reading goes above a certain level, I immediately call my doctor. If I ever get sick, I’ve arranged for my sister to take care of my kids.”
Susanne’s daily diet of more than 20,000 calories includes:
Breakfast:
6 scrambled eggs cooked in butter (468 cal),
½ pound bacon (1,168 cal),
4 potatoes as hash browns (672 cal),
6 slices of buttered toast (600 cal),
32-ounce cream shake (1,160 cal).
Snacks:
Bag of animal cookies (1,950 cal),
2-liter soft drink (800 cal),
10.5-ounce bag of barbecue chips (1,650 cal),
3 ham and cheese sandwiches (1,576 cal).
Lunch:
3 beef, bean, and green chili burritos + 1 cup sour cream (1,453 cal),
Large salad with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, ranch dressing, bacon bits, crumbled cheese, and chicken (1,479 cal).
Dinner:
12 filled tacos + 1 cup sour cream (4,906 cal),
2-liter soda (800 cal).
Dessert:
8 scoops vanilla ice cream (2,080 cal),
Small pan of brownies (1,200 cal).
Total: 21,962 calories.
And then—“Geez.”
There is much to be concerned about. First, addressing many of the commenters in the Daily Mail thread: the cruelty is overwhelming. The insults, taunts, and personal attacks reveal more about the commenters than about Susanne. This woman is desperate for love and attention. She isn’t “psychologically deranged”—she is deeply unhappy. She fills an emotional void with her drug of choice: food. Her self-destruction is not okay, but basic human decency should still apply.
Secondly—to speak directly to Susanne:
There is a huge difference between self-acceptance and self-delusion. You are beautiful, but the body you were given and the body you are creating are not the same. Some men may fetishize your weight, may give you attention, but ultimately, you are endangering your life, limiting your children’s future, and risking leaving them without a mother. Whatever has broken your heart, please bring it to the One who made you. You don’t have to be thin to be beautiful, but please—even if it means going unnoticed—do what is healthy for you and your boys. Or at least do what is right.
Finally—
How do we explain this…
To him…
Or to her…
In a world where 925 million people are undernourished—where a child dies every five seconds from hunger-related causes—where scarcity isn’t the issue but unequal distribution is, this level of excess feels unforgivable. It dishonors the mothers who cannot produce enough milk for their newborns because they are starving. It is an insult to every child forced to dig in a garbage dump for scraps…
or beg for food…
Every year, Americans spend 174 million dollars treating obesity-related diseases. That number mocks the half of the world without basic medical care—the children who could be saved with nothing more than a packet of rehydration salts or a mosquito net. This is NOT okay.
Humanitarian organizations struggle to stretch limited funds into lifesaving aid. They turn pennies into meals, often while petitioning politicians—the same politicians who allow people with self-inflicted medical conditions to drain resources for food binges and the health care required to sustain them. What is happening to us? And Susanne’s case is far from unique—this pattern is disturbingly common.
Before frustration wins, please consider supporting Megan Boudreaux and the team at Respire Haiti, who feed 700 children in Gressier, Haiti every week. Donations to their food program can make a real difference.
And to those around Susanne who enable her, who feed her illusions with false flattery or exploit her story—you are putting her life at risk and may be the reason her children become orphans. Shame on you.
Susanne, you are loved. Praying for you tonight… And praying for all of us.