The story of strong-willed circus performer Dolly Dimples, who became famous first for gaining weight and then for losing it
Although body positivity is actively promoted to the masses these days, slim figures remain trendy. Even those who demonstrate complete acceptance of their weight often secretly dream of losing weight. This is not surprising, because it is not only about appearance, but also about health, which often leaves much to be desired in overweight people. That is why the star of circus shows of the last century, Dolly Dimples, was forced to change her role. From the fattest woman in the USA, she turned into an expert in the fight against excess weight.
Celeste Hermann, better known as Dolly Dimples, was born in 1901 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The girl was born a completely normal child, but by the age of three she began to rapidly gain weight. The Gair family was large, close-knit and quite wealthy. They often had feasts in their home, and Celeste's mother loved to cook. Dolly later recalled that it was customary for their family to eat 6-7 times a day.
By the age of 16, Celeste's excess weight had become a real problem. She had reached the 135 kg mark and knew that this was far from the limit. Due to ridicule and bullying at school, she had to drop out of school in her senior year. Despite her size, Celeste had pleasant facial features and a beautiful, languid voice. That's why men liked her.
In 1922, Celeste married Frank Geyer, who worked at the Ford automobile plant. By the time of the wedding, the girl's weight had already reached 180 kg. Next to her slender groom, she looked like a real mountain. But this did not interfere with their happiness - Frank sincerely loved Celeste, and the couple lived in perfect harmony. But the onset of the Great Depression quickly affected their lives, putting the young family in front of serious trials.
When Frank lost his job at the factory, finding a new one turned out to be almost impossible. And then Celeste got the idea to go to work... in the circus! Her weight had already exceeded 200 kg and she still couldn't do anything other than show off her monumental figure. If she was laughed at at school for free, then why not let people do it for money?
Celeste easily found work in a traveling circus and even got her husband an assistant there. She chose the stage name Dolly Dimples for her performances, but also used the pseudonyms Bonnie Sonora and Jolly Dolly Geyer. Her act was called "The Most Beautiful Fat Woman in the World." People willingly came to see the positive and cheerful woman, who not only showed off her figure, but also sang beautifully and imitated the voices of famous singers.
The circus owner was pleased with the new artist, but thought she was too thin for her act. And Dolly Dimples began to do everything to gain even more weight. Her daily diet is mind-boggling: 2.3 kg of meat, several kilograms of potatoes, four loaves of bread, 7.5-11.5 liters of milk, and almost 2.5 kg of sugar, which she consumed mostly in the form of baked goods.
By 1933, Dolly Dimples weighed 227 kg, and by 1945 her weight had reached 236 kg. The artist set a goal of gaining 270 kg by the end of 1946, and almost achieved it, having gained weight to 266 kg. However, she then stopped trying to increase her weight - it was becoming increasingly difficult to move. And there was no need for this: the posters still wrote that she weighed 295 kg, and who would check this?
In the late 1940s, Dolly and Frank saved up enough money to build a luxurious mansion in Florida. But by this time, the artist was not feeling well and could only perform for a few months a year. And in July 1950, Dolly Dimples had a heart attack. Miraculously surviving after a week in a coma, Dolly heard a stern verdict from her doctor: the only way to save her life was to lose weight urgently.
At the time of her heart attack, Dolly weighed 251 kg and was only 150 cm tall. But she managed the impossible: after going on a strict 800-calorie diet, she managed to lose 182 kg in a year, and the scales showed 69 kg. The determined woman registered her achievement and got into the Guinness Book of Records. If earlier Dolly could hardly walk 100 meters a day, now she started every morning with a 6-8 km run.
By 1958, Dolly Dimples weighed an incredible 44 kg. But the family's financial situation was getting worse: if her excess weight had previously brought in money, now its absence was resulting in losses. The circus, with which the artist was bound by a contract, sued her, demanding a penalty. As a result, Dolly had to return to the circus, but in a new role - a fortune teller.
In 1964, her husband died, and Dolly, falling into depression, began to gain weight again. She gained weight to 102 kg, but told herself "stop" in time. This was facilitated by a mocking offer from one of the circuses - to gain weight again to 180 kg and "join the team". Instead, Dolly pulled herself together and began writing a book called "Diet or Die: Dolly Dimples' Weight Loss Plan".
By the time her book was published, Dolly Dimples had lost weight again, down to 52 kg – otherwise, who would have taken her work seriously? Her autobiography, which tells the story of a woman who went from one extreme to another and did not regret it at all, became a bestseller. Dolly’s financial situation improved, and with it, her zest for life returned.
It is worth mentioning that by the time the book was published in 1966, all of Dolly's brothers and sisters, even the younger ones, were dead. Each of them weighed at least 158 kg and could not find the strength to change anything. Dolly Dimples, on the contrary, managed to overcome herself and lived until the age of 81, dying on August 8, 1982.
This woman's story shows that no fame or material wealth can be more important than health. But could you give up your career and money to become healthier and more beautiful? The answer seems obvious, but in reality it's easy to talk about, but in life everything is much more complicated.