An 18-year-old girl from Thalassery, Kerala died after following a ‘water only’ diet in an attempt to lose weight. The teenager abstained from proper food for almost six months and survived on hot water to lose weight.
Sree Nanda, a native of Meruvambai Thalassery who died on Sunday, used to follow online portals for a weight loss diet.
“She was hardly 24 kgs, bedridden. Her sugar levels, sodium, and BP were low. She was out on ventilator support. But her condition did not improve, and she succumbed,” said Dr Nagesh Manohar Prabhu, a consultant physician at Thalaserry Co-operative Hospital.
Doctors at a Thalassery hospital also mentioned that the teen was suffering from the eating disorder anorexia.
Anorexia is an eating disorder in which people have a strong fear of gaining weight. Individuals with anorexia often limit the amount or type of food they eat to prevent weight gain or continue to lose weight. They can take drastic measures to lose weight that can put them at high risk of serious physical harm and death.
This incident highlights the dangers of blindly following fad diets, particularly those promoted on social media. Water fasting and many other fad diets have gained popularity across social media platforms. However, they are highly risky methods that have the potential to cause severe health complications and even death.