Pensioner Cathie Jung has worn tight-fitting corsets for years to become the woman with the world's smallest waist.
The super-fit 70-year-old has a tiny waist which measures just 15in (38cm) - making her figure distinctly hourglass.
The Queen of Corsets, as she has aptly named herself, appears in the new edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.
But the super-thin 70-year-old insists there is no, ahem, corset for concern. Grandmother Cathie is perfectly healthy despite having a midriff that can be reduced to the size of a large mayonnaise jar.
And having the smallest living person’s waistline has got her into the new edition of the Guinness Book Of Records. Cathie’s astonishing 39-15-39 figure is the result of spending the last 25 years laced into tight corsets, which only come off when she showers.
Cathie, from Manteo, North Carolina, reckons that while her corsets restrict her waist they don’t hold her back from everyday tasks. She said: “I do everything that I want to do. I eat fairly small meals but I prefer that at my age anyway. I find it tricky sitting in low chairs and sometimes in restaurants I have to sit on the high chairs at the bar.
“I even have a special swimming costume with a corset sewn in it, so I can still go to the beach. And I am still able to do housework — unfortunately!”
Cathie’s husband Bob is an orthopaedic surgeon and he reckons his wife’s unique look does her no harm.
She said: “Bob has carried out X-rays on me and says the corset actually helps support my spine. Everything in the midriff is flexible."
