An 18-year-old lost her life after following an extreme weight-loss diet regime that she came across on YouTube. M Sreenanda, a resident of Koothuparamba in Kannur, had reportedly been surviving almost entirely on water for months, leading to severe health complications.
A first-year student of Pazhassi Raja NSS College, Mattannur, Sreenanda was admitted to the Thalassery Co-operative Hospital a week ago after she showed signs of extreme tiredness and vomiting. She had been on ventilator support and died on Saturday night. Dr Nagesh Prabhu, who treated Sreenanda, confirmed she was suffering from anorexia nervosa, a severe eating disorder characterised by an intense fear of weight gain.“ She had been starving herself for nearly six months. One of my colleagues had earlier advised her family to seek psychiatric help, but they underestimated the seriousness of the condition,” he said.
Anorexia Nervosa is a complex disorder that not only affects eating habits but also has deep psychological roots. “Patients eventually lose their sense of hunger, and in Sreenanda’s case, her sodium and sugar levels plummeted beyond correction,” the doctor said. While such cases are more common in Western countries, experts warn that India, particularly Kerala, is witnessing a rise in similar instances mainly due to unrealistic body standards propagated by social media.