World's Tallest Man Still Growing

The 2010, 2011 and 2012 editions of Guinness Book of World Records lists Sultan Kösen (born 10 December 1982) as the tallest living man in the world as well as having the largest hands (11.22 inches or 28.5 centimeters) and largest feet (14.4 inches or 36.5 centimeters) when last measured on 8 February 2011. Kosen has been in the Guinness Book of World Records for some time now due to his extremely tall stature.
If we were to really add up his scores for the Guinness book of world records he would probably hold a few more, for the largest custom made shoes and gloves along with pants and t-shirts. Most men can buy their clothing in a department store, but it must be a little more difficult to purchase your clothes when you have to buy custom t-shirts every time you need a new one. Which could have been frequently considering that Kosen was still growing at 8 feet 2 inches in 2011.

Sultan Kösen - Still Growing

According to Guinness, Sultan Kösen is the tallest living human reaching an average height of 8 feet 1 inches (246.5 cm) when measured by GWR in Ankara, Turkey, in February 2009. He took the title from Bao Xishun (Inner Mongolia, China), who stands 'just' 7 feet 8.95 inches (236 cm). However, Sultan Kösen was still growing and at a more recent meeting with the then tallest man of the U.S. George Bell, Sultan Kösen was measured at 8 feet 2 inches tall. On 8 February 2011 Sultan Kösen was measured in Ankara, Turkey at 8 feet 3 inches (251.4 cm). Source Guinness World Records.

Sultan Kosen came to the University of Virginia in 2010, so UVa doctors could treat the tumor in his pituitary gland that was causing excess growth hormone and gigantism. Previous, failed attempts to halt Kosen’s growth made the UVa team’s job all the harder. A UVa doctor put Kosen on medication to help balance his hormone levels. Dr. Jason Sheehan (UVa brain surgeon) used a tool called a gamma knife to attack the tumor, which was too deep in Kosen’s brain for conventional surgery. The technique used focused beams of radiation to target the tumor. It wasn’t the same as treating a normal-sized man. Special equipment had to be flown in from Sweden to fit Kosen’s outsized skull. Early 2012 Turkish doctors confirmed that Kosen had stopped growing.

Sultan Kösen - Personal Life

Sultan Kösen was unable to complete his schooling because of his extreme height, but works occasionally as a farmer to support his family. Sultan Kösen has three brothers and a sister, who are all normal-sized, but his rate of growth surged from the age of 10 because of a tumour which caused too much growth hormone to be released from his pituitary gland. The tumour was successfully removed in surgery and he was thought to have stopped growing last year (2008), but more recent measurements proved that he kept on growing for another 2 years. He uses walking sticks and tires quickly if he is standing.

Sultan Kösen - The Tallest Man?

Another pretender to the tallest title, Ukrainian Leonid Stadnyk, who claims to be 10.5 centimetres taller than Sultan Kösen, fails to qualify for the record because he refused to be measured by Guinness World Records officials. Photographic evidence of Leonid Stadnyk shows that he is about 7 feet 7 inches tall (231.1 cm), 8 inches shorter than Sultan Kösen. Guinness editor-in-chief Craig Glenday travelled to Turkey to personally validate Sultan Kosen's height under strict guidelines, measuring him three times in one day because bodies expand and shrink throughout the day.

Sultan Kösen - Where is he?

Sultan Kosen has since been touring England, Germany, Austria, the U.S., Iceland, Spain, The Netherlands (twice), Belgium, Norway, Romania, Cuba (3 times), Hong Kong, Thailand and Brazil. You can view more images of his visits to The Netherlands, Austria, Romania and Cuba.