| Michel Lotito | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 15, 1950 Grenoble, France |
| Died | June 25, 2007 (aged 57) |
| Nationality | French |
| Other names | Monsieur Mangetout |
| Occupation | Entertainer |
| Known for | Eating unusual objects |
Michel Lotito (June 15, 1950 - June 25, 2007) was a French entertainer, born in Grenoble, famous for deliberately consuming indigestible objects. He came to be known as Monsieur Mangetout ("Mister Eat All The Things").[1]
His performances involved the consumption of metal, glass, rubber and other materials. He disassembled, cut-up, and consumed bicycles, shopping carts, televisions, a Cessna 150,[2] and other items. The Cessna 150 took roughly two years to be "eaten," from 1978 to 1980. He began eating unusual material as a child around 9 years of age and performed publicly from 1966.
Lotito claimed not to suffer ill effects from consuming the materials, even after consuming materials usually considered poisonous. When performing he consumed around a 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) of material daily, preceding it with mineral oil and drinking considerable quantities of water during the meal.[3] He said, however, that bananas and hard-boiled eggs made him sick. It is estimated that between 1959–1997 Lotito had eaten around 1 ton of metal.
Lotito died of natural causes on June 25, 2007, ten days after his 57th birthday. He is buried at Grenoble Cemetery.
Lotito's method for eating all of this metal was to break it in to small pieces before attempting to eat it. He then drank mineral oil and continued to drink water while swallowing the metal bits. This acted as a lubricant to help the metal slide down his throat. He also had no problem "passing" his unusual diet.