Michel Lotito Biography

Michel Lotito was born with the eating and psychological disorder Pica. It causes people to eat inedible, dangerous, and non-nutritive objects like metals, glass, etc. However, it remained undiagnosed until he was nine. Early stories about his life mention a particular incident that led to the discovery. He was drinking from a glass when it shattered and Lotito started chewing and eating the shattered glass pieces. Not only did he manage to eat them, but he was also able to digest them without causing any harm to himself. A medical diagnosis led to his condition being determined as Pica. From then on, he developed a taste for eating normally indigestible, non-nutritive, and poisonous objects like glass and metal.

Further diagnosis by medical experts also determined that Michel had an unusually tough digestive system. It seemed that his stomach linings and intestines were much thicker than usual. He was quick to realize his unique talent of being able to practically eat anything. Thus began the incredible career of Monsieur Mangetout or ‘Mr. Eat-All”’ in 1959. Michel Lotito started traveling the world, eating dangerous objects to the shock and awe of audiences. To be safe, he developed a technique that enabled him to swallow metal and sharp objects with ease. He would drink a lot of mineral oil to lubricate his throat and then drink gallons of water while performing. He would also break larger metal pieces into small ones before eating them. Estimates of his diet have revealed that Lotito consumed at least 1 kilogram of inedible substances daily while performing. He is estimated to have eaten nearly nine tons of metal from 1959 to 1997.

In his career, Michel Lotito had consumed at least 18 bicycles, hundreds of razor blades, 15 supermarket trolleys, 2 beds, multiple skis, 7 TV sets, a computer, and 6 chandeliers. Known for his humorous side, he also ate an entire airplane. Of course, because of its size, the consumption of the entire Cessna 150 airplane took a little longer, from 1978 to 1980. But he did emerge victorious, having eaten and “passed” every part of the plane. He also can claim to be perhaps the only man to have eaten an entire coffin along with the nails. Thus the coffin ended up inside him before he ended up inside it.

Digesting toxic metal and substances was never an issue for Lotito because of his incredibly strong stomach acids. The only food objects to cause him indigestion were soft foods like eggs, bananas, etc. While the knowledge about Pica disorder has increased, Michel Lotito remains untouchable when it comes to weird diets. No one has been able to match his achievements. The ‘Guinness Book of World Records’ recognized his talents and he still holds the world record for “strangest diet”. He was given a brass plaque by them to honor his achievements. Naturally, it came as a surprise to no one when the plaque ended up inside his stomach.

Michel Lotito was born on June 15, 1950, in Grenoble, France. He became a hometown and an international icon. He died of natural causes on June 25, 2007. His final resting place is at the Saint Roch Cemetery in Grenoble.