The Man Who Ate an Airplane: The Incredible Diet of Michel Lotito

Michel Lotito, a French entertainer known as "Monsieur Mangetout" (Mr. Eat-All), became famous for his bizarre and seemingly impossible diet. Born in 1950 in Grenoble, France, Lotito had a rare condition known as pica, a psychological disorder characterized by an appetite for substances that are largely non-nutritive. Over his lifetime, Lotito consumed a wide variety of indigestible objects, including bicycles, shopping carts, televisions, and even an entire Cessna 150 airplane.

Lotito's ability to consume such objects was due to his unusually thick stomach lining and intestines, which allowed him to digest metal, glass, and rubber without harm. His unusual diet first garnered attention in the 1960s, and he went on to make a career out of his extraordinary eating habits, performing around the world.

One of his most famous feats was eating a Cessna 150 airplane. Lotito began eating the aircraft in 1978, and it took him about two years to complete the task. He would break the plane into small, consumable pieces, which he would then ingest along with mineral oil and water to help pass the metal through his digestive system.

Lotito's consumption of non-food items was documented by the Guinness World Records, and he became a celebrity for his unique talent. Despite his unusual diet, Lotito lived a relatively healthy life and passed away from natural causes in 2007 at the age of 57.

Michel Lotito's story is a fascinating example of the extremes of human capability and the unique ways in which the human body can adapt. His incredible feats of consumption remain unmatched and continue to captivate and astonish people around the world.