The Ethiopian Woman Who Hasn't Eaten for 16 Years: A Mystery Unfolds

Right after completing fasts like Yom Kippur, Tisha B'Av, or any other, we often feel it: the headache that makes us crave something sweet as fast as possible. But how long can a person actually go without food? Are there people who can fast for more than 48 hours? Now, what if we told you there's a woman from Ethiopia who hasn't eaten for 16 straight years?

Muluwork Amaebaw explains that she stopped eating and drinking when she was just ten years old. It sounds implausible, but she vividly recalls her last meal—red lentils. Recently, she was interviewed by travel enthusiast Drew Binsky, who flew to Ethiopia. He found her in her village, noticing guards at her home's entrance with tall walls. He remarked, "Entering her living room felt like stepping into an alternate world, with posters on the walls and a variety of antiques that made it feel as though we were stuck in a time capsule from her childhood."

The surprise intensified when he entered the bathroom: there was no toilet, just a hole in the ground. Amaebaw told him she doesn't need a toilet, except for her family members' use. "I've never felt hunger," she stated in their conversation. This raises an important question though: how can she still be alive after not eating for so many days? And what has she been doing for the past 16 years? "I used to live with my family, and they asked me to eat breakfast and go to school. I just pretended because I lost my appetite for water and food."

To verify her claims, Amaebaw was examined by doctors in Ethiopia's capital. They assert she is in perfect health, but her blood tests show no signs that she has consumed food in recent years.

In the past, she traveled to be examined in Dubai and Qatar, where doctors remained puzzled about how she hasn't eaten for so many years and, more astonishingly, how she managed to survive a pregnancy without eating. While no one has a clear answer, one thing is certain—this is the first and likely the last case of someone surviving without food. Needless to say, don't try this at home.