An 18-year-old girl from Kannur district in Kerala, named Sreenanda, died due to health issues caused by extreme dieting and prolonged starvation, driven by her fear of gaining weight. She was from Koothuparamba and passed away while receiving treatment at a hospital in Thalassery, where she was on a ventilator. Prior to this, she had also been treated at Kozhikode Medical College.
According to her family, Sreenanda had been skipping meals and exercising too much because she was very scared of gaining weight. She followed diet plans from online websites and only drank water, which led to extreme starvation. Sreenanda was a first-year student at Mattannur Pazhassiraja NSS College.
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Medical experts think that Sreenanda might have anorexia nervosa. This is an eating disorder where people worry a lot about their weight and how much they eat. Even when they are underweight, they often believe they are overweight. Because of this, they take extreme steps to avoid eating food. Experts have noticed that more people are experiencing this problem after the Covid pandemic.
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For five to six months, her condition continued. During this time, she ate much less and kept it hidden from her family. A relative said she would hide the food her parents gave her and only drink hot water. About five months ago, she was taken to the hospital, where doctors told her family to make sure she ate properly and to get mental health help.
Two months ago, she went to Kozhikode Medical College for tests. The doctors said she needed help with her nutrition and mental health. However, her health got worse. Two weeks ago, her blood sugar level fell a lot, and she had serious trouble breathing. Because of this, she was taken to Thalassery Co-operative Hospital right away.
Dr. Nagesh Manohar Prabhu, a doctor at Thalassery Co-operative Hospital, said that she was brought to the hospital about 12 days ago in a very serious condition and was immediately admitted to the ICU. "She weighed only 24 kg and was unable to move. Her sugar levels, sodium, and blood pressure were very low. She was put on a ventilator, but her condition didn't get better, and she passed away," Dr. Prabhu said.