An 18-year-old girl in Kerala lost her life after following an unhealthy diet in an attempt to lose weight, allegedly after being body-shamed, doctors said.
The deceased, Sreenanda, a native of Koothuparamba in Kannur, passed away while undergoing treatment. She had been admitted to Thalassery Co-operative Hospital with severe health complications caused by the extreme diet.
She succumbed to her condition last Saturday while still under medical care.
Quoting her parents, doctors who treated the teenager at the Thalassery Co-operative Hospital said she had relied on YouTube for diet guidance after allegedly being body-shamed.
Her condition is suspected to be linked to anorexia nervosa, a severe eating disorder characterised by extreme food restriction, an intense fear of weight gain, and a distorted perception of body image, Dr Nagesh Manohar Prabhu, who treated her told PTI.
Sreenanda had drastically reduced her food intake as part of her weight-loss regimen.
Earlier, she had been taken to the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, after complaining of difficulty in drinking water. The doctors there reportedly advised her parents to consult a psychiatrist, as they recognised that this was a serious case of anorexia nervosa. However, there was no follow-up.
Eventually, when she struggled to eat, she was brought to the Thalassery Co-operative Hospital.
“When she was admitted, her blood pressure was 70, oxygen level 70-72, and blood sugar 45. Her sodium and potassium levels were also critically low,” Dr Prabhu said.
She had lost significant muscle mass due to prolonged malnutrition from her weight-loss regimen, he added.
While reviewing her case history, doctors examined her old photographs. “She appeared to weigh around 50 kg in her earlier photos. However, by the time she was brought to our hospital, she weighed less than 25 kg,” the doctor said.
She reached this critical stage within three months.
“Her parents said she had started her own weight-loss treatment six months ago. She gradually reduced her food intake and completely stopped eating three months ago. The parents sought medical help only after she stopped drinking water,” he said.
“The parents did not realise it was a psychiatric condition. They assumed it was just the influence of YouTube,” Dr Prabhu said. “It was a case of anorexia nervosa, which could have been treated if detected in the early stages.”
He also mentioned that the teenager was not in a condition to speak, and all information was provided by her parents.
A district health official declined to comment on the matter, stating that they had not reviewed the case history.