Yao Defen, The Tallest Known Living Women

At seven she was as tall as most adults. By 11 she was 6ft 2in, and at 15 she towered over everyone at 6ft 8in.

Yao Defen is now 34 and, astonishingly, she has been growing ever since, sometimes as much as two inches a year.



At 7ft 8in this shy woman from a remote Chinese village is the tallest female in the world, weighing 231/2 stone with hands as big as her mother's head and Size 26 feet.

She suffers from gigantism, a condition which makes her body grow uncontrollably. It has been slowly killing her since the day she was born.

But at last Defen might have a future. In January she will have operation to remove the brain tumour which is the cause of all her problems.

You can read more about her here.