Years of Skipping Breakfast and Late-Night Snacking Leave Chinese Woman with 95 Gallstones

When a 40-year-old woman from Fujian, China, sought medical help for ongoing stomach discomfort, doctors were stunned by what they found:

95 gallstones in her gallbladder.

According to the chief surgeon who treated her, the discovery was extremely rare.

“I didn’t expect there to be so many stones. It’s actually pretty rare. Having this many stones is extremely risky. It’s like a water balloon filled with gravel. At any moment, it could block the bile duct or cause acute pancreatitis,” he said.

Gallstones often develop silently but can cause severe abdominal pain if a stone blocks the bile duct. Such episodes can last for up to five hours and may occur months apart. This makes the condition hard to detect early.

Doctors attributed the woman’s exceptionally high number of gallstones to years of poor dietary habits.

Decade of Night Shifts and Unhealthy Eating Habits Behind Gallstone Formation

The woman had worked night shifts for over a decade and developed a routine of inviting her sisters over for supper after finishing her shifts.

These late-night meals often consisted of greasy foods, especially barbecued items. She would then sleep until noon, regularly skipping breakfast and eating her first meal around brunch.

Doctors explained that this pattern led to bile stasis — a condition in which bile is produced but not released regularly. The high-fat midnight snacks triggered the gallbladder to release bile, while skipping breakfast in the morning caused bile to accumulate.

Over time, cholesterol crystals formed and gradually built up — much like a snowball effect.

A 2019 study supports this explanation, noting that both high-fat diets and prolonged fasting are known risk factors for gallstone formation.

How Skipping Breakfast Can Increase Gallstone Risk

Doctors warned that skipping breakfast regularly can lead to bile stasis and stone formation. This condition might block the bile duct or trigger acute pancreatitis, both of which can be very dangerous.

According to Phyathai Hospital, fasting for more than 14 hours can cause cholesterol to accumulate in the gallbladder.

Without food intake to stimulate the gallbladder to release bile, which helps dissolve cholesterol, this buildup can eventually lead to gallstone formation.

Recent reports indicate that an increasing number of young people are developing gallstones, largely due to modern lifestyle habits.

The United Kingdom’s National Health Service notes that gallstones are more common in women, individuals over the age of 40, and those who are overweight or obese.

As prevention is more effective than treatment, doctors advise against high-fat diets, sedentary lifestyles, and especially skipping meals.

Experts recommend eating meals at regular intervals, maintaining a balanced and low-fat diet, and engaging in regular physical activity to reduce gallstone risk.