Body standards are a weird thing. One decade everyone wants to look like a waif, the next, the world is obsessed with "shelf" booties and hourglass curves. But beyond the Instagram filters and the surgical trends like BBLs, there is a small group of women who possess the biggest asses in the world naturally—and the reality of living with that kind of physique is a lot more complicated than a viral photo might suggest.
We aren't just talking about "thick" or "curvy" here. We are talking about world-record territory.
The Queen of Hips: Mikel Ruffinelli
If you're looking for the absolute peak of this category, you have to talk about Mikel Ruffinelli. Based in Los Angeles, Mikel holds the record for the widest hips (and by extension, one of the most substantial rears) ever documented.
Her measurements are hard to wrap your brain around. Her hips measure a staggering 8 feet in circumference. To put that in perspective, that’s wider than she is tall—she stands at 5'4".
Honestly, the physics of it are fascinating. While she weighs around 420 pounds, her waist is relatively small at about 40 inches. It creates a silhouette that looks almost digitally altered, but Mikel is adamant that her shape is 100% natural. She attributes the growth to a combination of genetics and her four pregnancies. She was a fairly athletic teenager, weighing about 140 pounds, but after her first child at age 22, her hips just... kept going.
Life in an Oversized World
You’ve probably never thought about how wide a standard doorway is. Mikel has to. She literally shuffles through most doors sideways.
Public transportation? Forget about it. She has to buy two seats on every flight she takes, which makes traveling a massive financial burden. Even at home, she can't just buy a chair from IKEA. She uses steel-reinforced chairs and drives a wide-body truck because she simply cannot fit behind the wheel of a standard sedan.
Her husband, Reggie Brooks, is her biggest fan. He’s been quoted saying he has a "license to work with heavy equipment," which is a pretty great way to handle the media circus that often follows them. But it’s not all jokes. Her daughter, Destynee, has mentioned in documentaries that seeing her mom struggle with physical pain from standing too long is tough. It’s a reminder that while the internet gawks, there’s a real human body carrying that weight.
The Contenders: Sarah Massey and Marlena Plummer
Mikel isn't the only one in the record books. For a long time, Sarah Massey from Chicago was a name that dominated these searches.
Sarah’s rear measures roughly 7 feet around. She wears 10XL pants. Unlike some who lean into the "body positive" modeling world, Sarah has been more vocal about the downsides. She’s dealt with significant back pain and the reality that carrying that much weight on a small frame is physically exhausting.
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Then there’s Marlena Plummer from New York. She has the second-largest hips in the world, measuring about 7 feet as well. Marlena’s story is slightly different because she claims she’s had these proportions since she was a baby. She didn’t "grow" into them through pregnancy; it was just her DNA from day one.
The Science of the "Big Butt"
Why do some people store fat almost exclusively in their lower half? It’s not just about eating too many T-Rex-sized portions of Mexican food (though Mikel does admit she enjoys a high-calorie diet).
It’s actually a condition called Lipedema in many cases, though not all record-holders have been formally diagnosed. Lipedema is a chronic disorder where fat cells distribute irregularly under the skin, usually in the legs and buttocks. It’s often resistant to diet and exercise, which explains why someone could have a relatively normal-sized upper body and "world’s biggest" lower body.
Cultural Perception vs. Reality
In South Africa, the average hip size is statistically among the largest in the world, hovering around 41.73 inches. This is a mix of genetics and cultural beauty standards that celebrate a fuller figure.
In the U.S., the average is about 40.2 inches, but that number is skewed by the massive rise in cosmetic surgeries. The "Instagram look" has made people crave these proportions, leading to a boom in the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) industry.
But there is a massive difference between a surgical 45-inch hip and the 99-inch measurement of a record holder. One is a fashion choice; the other is a life-altering physical reality.
What People Get Wrong About the Record
Most people assume these women are "unhealthy" just by looking at them. It’s a common knee-jerk reaction. However, Mikel Ruffinelli has gone on record multiple times stating she has no major health issues like diabetes or heart disease.
That said, "healthy" is a sliding scale. While her bloodwork might be fine, the mechanical stress on the joints is real. The human skeleton wasn't exactly designed to support an 8-foot hip span on 5'4" legs.
Why the Records Matter
These records aren't just for shock value. They challenge our idea of what a "normal" body looks like. In a world of filtered celebrities, seeing someone like Mikel or Marlena—who are unashamed of their natural, albeit extreme, bodies—is a bit of a reality check. They deal with stares, people taking secret photos of them in public, and constant online "advice" on how to lose weight.
Actionable Takeaways for Body Knowledge
If you’re fascinated by these extreme measurements, it’s worth looking at your own health and proportions with a bit more nuance.
- Check your Waist-to-Hip Ratio: Doctors actually use this more than BMI now. A higher ratio (fat around the middle) is usually more dangerous for your heart than fat stored in the hips and butt.
- Strengthen the Glutes: Regardless of size, the gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in your body. If you have back pain, don't just stretch your back—strengthen your butt. It supports your spine.
- Recognize Lipedema: If you find that you lose weight everywhere except your legs and hips, talk to a specialist. It might not be a "stubborn fat" issue; it could be a medical condition that needs specific management like lymphatic drainage or compression.
Living with the biggest asses in the world isn't a Kardashian-style glamour shoot. It's a logistical puzzle involving custom-made lingerie, reinforced furniture, and a lot of sideways walking. But for women like Mikel Ruffinelli, it's also a source of pride. She’s happy. She’s loved. And she’s definitely not shrinking herself to fit into anyone else’s box.
To understand more about how body fat distribution affects your long-term health, you should monitor your mobility and joint health regularly, especially if you carry weight in specific areas.