Big Love

A Turkish man has earned a spot in the Guinness Book World Records as the tallest man on Earth.

Sultan Kosen, 27, stands 8 feet 1 inch tall and says it's lonely at the top.

"Up until now it's been really difficult to find a girlfriend," Kosen told the Associated Press through an interpreter. "I've never had one, they were usually scared of me. ... Hopefully now that I'm famous I'll be able to meet lots of girls. I'd like to get married."

Kosen is indeed a rare breed. There have been only 10 confirmed cases of people over 8 feet tall in human history. One of those people is still alive and actually taller than Kosen. Ukrainian Leonid Standnyk allegedly stands 8 feet 5.5 inches, but refused to be measured for official record and so was left out of the running. He said he's tired of being in the public eye.

Guinness says Kosen, who uses crutches to stand, grew so tall because of a tumor that triggered his pituitary to overproduce growth hormones. The tumor has since been removed.

Let's hope this gentle giant finds just the right giantess. We'll be rooting for you, Kosen.

Photo courtesy of sharleenpuckett via Flickr.