Indeed, Dr Andres Ruiz said she should stop the training

Waist training is all the rage these days, with stars such as Kim Kardashian, Jessica Alba and Nicki Minaj all giving it a go.

But one woman has taken taken the fad to extreme levels. Curvy Aleira Avendano achieved an eye-watering 20-inch waist - wearing a corset 23 hours a day.

The busty model, from Caracas, Venezuela, has been wearing the waist-shrinking garment for the last six years and even refers to it as her second skin.

Scroll down for video

Aleira Avendano has a tiny 20-inch waist after wearing a corset for 23 hours a day for the last six years

And despite doctors' warnings that the corset poses seriously health risks, Aleira continues to turn heads with her extreme shape.

Aleira said: 'I am completely obsessed with belts and corsets - I even sleep with them on.

'I love the feeling of pressure and only take it off for an hour a day to rest and to wash myself.'

The 25-year-old model began waist-training while still in her teens and now with her enhanced 34DD breasts she draws stares wherever she goes.

She said: 'People stop what they're doing and stare - everywhere I go I get attention.

'People shout at me in the street - they can't believe that my figure is real. But wearing a corset took some getting used to - at first it was terrible and uncomfortable.

'After a while it became a necessity and when I'm not wearing it my skin would itch. But it's not pain - it's more pleasure, I like the pressure. I don't feel a thing, it doesn't bother me at all.'

Aleira's doctors have said that her extreme waist-training could lead to complications later in life

In this shot it is clear to see how much smaller Aleira's waist is to the rest of her body

But Aleira's doctor fears that her stringent regime could lead to complications later on in life.

Dr Andrés Ruiz, said: 'In my medical opinion she should stop this immediately.Thank God she has not done any damage so far but she should stop before it's too late.

'It happens because the floating ribs at the bottom of the rib cage are easier to mold - it's definitely possible to achieve this waist without surgery.'

Along with the waist training, Aleira tries to keep her hourglass shape by eating right and dieting.

She added: 'I only eat very small portions mainly egg whites, pineapple, lots of fruit and a little bit of meat - I have a very balanced diet. I do crunches, weights and whatever I can to stay in shape.'

But a strict corset regime and a healthy lifestyle can only go so far in gaining a cartoonlike body.

Aleira hopes she will become famous because of her tiny waist which she shows off her in a sequin jumpsuit

Aleira regularly wears tight fitting clothes which show off her tiny waist

Wherever she goes Aleira attracts stares from on-lookers who are confused by her figure

She added: 'I have to admit that I have had some surgery. I've had my nose done and my breasts three times. I've also had buttock implants and some liposuction - so quite a bit.'

Unsurprisingly she draws both adulation and criticism whenever she hits the streets of Caracas in Venezuela - with people even comparing her to an alien.

She said: 'They say that I've had too much surgery, that I don't have ribs and that I'm a man. It is totally false - people even say that I am an extraterrestrial and a transsexual.'

But she considers wearing a corset for 23 hours a day a small price to pay for the happiness it brings her.

She added: 'This is the best thing that has happened to me. I would like to be known for my waist, not for having the smallest waist in the world but rather for my waist and my entire body.

'That would be one of my ambitions, to be very well known for the shape of my body. Other than having a small waist I also want to be considered sexy.'

Recently Cinderella star Lily James came under fire for having worn a corset during the filming of the new film.

Actress Lily James has come under fire for wearing a corset in the new Cinderella film which has given her a tiny waist

Many have commented that the characters waist is too small and gives young viewers unrealistic expectations of how they should look.

Lily even admitted that she couldn't eat properly during filming saying: 'When [the corset] was on we would be on continuous days, so we wouldn't stop for lunch or a lovely tea like this. You'd be sort of eating on the move. In that case, I couldn't untie the corset.

'If you ate food it didn't really digest properly, and I'd be burping all afternoon in [Richard Madden's] face, and it was just really sort of unpleasant. I'd have soup so that I could still eat but it wouldn't get stuck.'