The Worst Airplane Meal?

Pictured above is a Cessna 150, a two-seat airplane that was produced from 1958 through 1977. It was a very popular plane — per its Wikipedia entry, it is “the fifth most produced aircraft ever, with 23,839 produced.” There’s nothing all that special about it — it’s a perfectly good way to get from A to B, if you’re okay with being in a small plane. Just don’t expect there to be a lot of in-flight amenities — there’s no drink service, no bathroom, and no one to come around to give you dinner. Chances are, you aren’t eating much if you’re on a Cessna 150.

But for Michel Lotito, that didn’t matter — he didn’t want to eat on a Cessna 150. He wanted to eat the plane itself.

And he did, as seen below.

No, he isn’t taking a bit of the plane there, but don’t worry — he did. And — again, don’t worry! — he not was able to survive it, but he was probably happy to dig into the metal and rubber and other non food-parts throughout the process. But to be clear, please, don’t try this yourself. You’re not Michel Lotito.

Lotito was born in France in 1950 and, before he was ten years old, began eating things other than food. He had an eating disorder called pica, which the Cleveland Clinic describes as “a mental health condition where a person compulsively swallows non-food items.” It’s very rare and it can be dangerous depending on what the person is compelled to eat — it’s probably safe (although a bad idea) to eat, say, a cotton sweater, but a wire hanger is very dangerous. But Lotito’s disability, coincidentally, came with some superpowers: a surprisingly strong disgestive system. Per various sources, he had an unusually thick stomach and intestinal lining, allowing him to eat (and, uh, excrete) sharp objects without injuring his insides. And his natural stomach acid was much stronger than a typical person’s, allowing him to digest a lot of stuff — metal included — that most of us simply couldn’t.

Of course, you can’t “eat” metal and other very hard objects like you would actual food, so Lotito had to develop a system. Guinness World Records explained his process:

He prepared each item for consumption by cutting it up with an electric power saw to create bite-sized chunks. Instead of chewing the pieces, he swallowed them like a pill – something that would prove fatal to most people.

To help wash it all down, Lotito drank mineral oil and large quantities of water, which acted as lubricant. Fortunately, he didn’t experience any significant problems excreting his ‘food’.

Lotito’s complusion plus his ability to eat dangerous items without incident led him to a career as a performer — he’d eat strange things for an audience and get paid for it. And like any other professional eater, he always had to outdo himself. As Guinness notes, he first appeared in the record book in 1979, “where he was recognized for consuming a bicycle in record time (15 days between 17 March – 2 April 1977).” (That there was a previous record is, itself, shocking.)

Starting in 1978, he began trying to eat the plane and, allegedly, he completed the “meal” in 1980. But that may be more legend than fact. Snopes investigated the matter in detail, but couldn’t find contemporary sources outlining the achievement, but also noted that it’s hardly outside the realm of possible, given Lotito’s unusual diet and corresponding career. In any event, he was recognized by Guinness as having the “World’s Strangest Diet” and was given a metal plaque to commemorate it. Lotito, of course, ate the plaque.

The long-term effects of his claim to fame, though, probably weren’t great. Lotito died in 2006, at the age of 55, from natural causes.

Bonus fact: For a while, tech icon Steve Jobs decided to commit to a vegan diet, eschewing anything derived from animals. That’s not unusual, but Jobs went a step further. NBC News, citing Walter Isaacson’s biography of Jobs, explains: “Jobs also believed that his commitment to vegan diets meant his body was flushed of mucus — and that it meant he was free from body odor, so he didn’t need to wear deodorant or shower regularly. Unsurprisingly, the book quotes former coworkers saying that he was very, very wrong. “

From the Archives: Mr. Beer Belly: He didn’t drink, but he kept getting drunk. Why? Because his stomach was also a brewery.