A 26-year-old woman claims that she has defied nature and science by not consuming or drinking anything in 16 years.
The Ethiopian woman, whose name is Muluwork, was featured on documentary maker and YouTuber, Drew Binsky’s channel.
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Muluwork is based in the small village of Jimma. She claims that she has had medical tests conducted by doctors on her in Addis Ababa and Dubai which ‘proved’ her claim.
“Every morning when I used to live with my family, they would ask me to eat breakfast before I go to school. I would pretend that I had eaten, but I had not,” she told Binsky.
Remarkably, she has a daughter, which confounds reason as to how the child received sustenance as a foetus.
IOL spoke to Durban medical practitioner, Dr Hlengiwe Zulu who expressed scepticism over Muluwork’s claim. She said it is literally impossible for a person to survive without eating or drinking.
“Without nourishment, the body begins to break down its own tissues for energy, leading to muscle wasting and organ damage. What she is saying is scientifically impossible and I wonder what has led others to trust her,” said Zulu.
In her home, the living room is adorned with depictions of religious pictures and one picture of herself which describes her as “the creature who has not eaten in nine years”.
Binsky comments in the video that “It’s remarkable how big and protected her house is compared to her neighbours.”
Apparently, the compound was gifted to the mysterious woman by the prime minister. In the back of the property, she has a garden where she grows vegetables.
“I’ll them grow, harvest it and when my sister comes here, she can cook and eat it or whenever there is a visitor comes, I’ll give it to them, but I don’t eat them,” she said.
She told the content creator that she cooks as much as she wants, but is not tempted by food and has no appetite at all.
When asked what doctors thought of her condition, she said she had gone abroad to be assessed by medical practitioners who tested her for a week and evaluated her mental status.
“They thought I was crazy, but I am sane. When I was pregnant with my daughter, they had to give me a lot of glucose. But when she was born, I could not breastfeed her.”
The source of her energy also perplexes Muluwork.
“I think its an act of God, what else could it be?”
Another villager said that Muluwork is an amazing woman and believes that she does not consume anything.
“I have never seen her eating ... I don’t know why she does not eat, but it’s amazing,” he said.
Comments on the video were mixed, with some viewers saying they believe her ‘miraculous’ experience, while others said she is a scammer.
Here were some of the comments:
“She was perspiring. That means she loses water. That means she is not a closed system. Without replenishing the lost water she would at the very least dry out, if not die. I don’t see how this could be true.”
“How can anyone believe this nonsense?”
“Imagine the freedom you would have if you did not need to eat or drink. That sounds heavenly.”
“I think that she deserves an additional and completely documented trip to a reputable doctor with 100% supervision to determine if this is true or a publicity stunt. If what’s happening here is legitimate, then the world itself would benefit from further studies into her condition.”
“She has too much weight on her not to eat. She knows how to fast.”
IOL