Kerala girl weighing 'hardly 24 kg' dies of extreme dieting: What is anorexia nervosa? Everything you need to know

Doctors say the 18-year-old girl was anorexic and reportedly surviving on water after following an online weight loss diet. Here's everything you need to know.

An 18-year-old girl from Kerala, Sree Nanda, suffering from the eating disorder anorexia died on Sunday at a Thalassery hospital where she was undergoing treatment after she abstained from proper food for almost six months, as per ANI. The news agency added she used to follow online portals for a weight loss diet and was surviving on water.

What is anorexia nervosa?

Anorexia nervosa, often simply called anorexia, is a serious eating disorder characterised by a distorted body image and an intense fear of gaining weight, which leads to restrictive eating habits and significant weight loss. But before we dive into what triggers anorexia, let's learn more about Sree Nanda's case.

What happened to the Kerala teen?

According to Sree Nanda's family and doctors, her anorexia reportedly persisted for about five to six months. She was hardly eating anything, and reportedly she hid it from the family. About five months back, she was taken to the hospital, and the doctors advised that she needed to eat and asked the family to get a psychiatric consultation.

Dr Nagesh Manohar Prabhu, a consultant physician at Thalaserry Co-operative Hospital, told ANI that Sree Nanda was brought to the hospital around 12 days ago and was directly admitted to the ICU. The physician said, "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."

According to a relative, ANI reported Sree Nanda used to hide the food her parents gave her, and survived on hot water. She was taken to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital two months back, and tests were done. Doctors advised the family to feed her and to get a psychiatric consultation.Two weeks back, her blood sugar dropped, and she had breathing issues and was immediately admitted to Thalaserry Co-operative Hospital.

What causes anorexia nervosa?

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder, causing people to be obsessive about weight and what they eat. As per a 2016 study by Columbia University Medical Centre, a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors can trigger eating disorders in humans. The findings showed that apart from genetic risks, social stress like isolation and dieting as a result of peer pressure, which is specifically the desire to be thin, could trigger anorexia in adolescents. It has a mortality rate of 8-15 percent, the highest of any psychiatric disease.

Anorexia nervosa can alter brain’s response to taste

The eating disorder can alter the brain circuit and the taste-reward processing system, as per the findings of a 2018 study from University of Colorado School of Medicine. So, while most people like eating sweet tasting things, anorexics will equate sweetness with weight gain and avoid it. The study showed that the brain activation among the anorexia group was inversely connected with any pleasant experience of eating sugar.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.