A 16-year-old girl from Hunan province in central China almost died after following a dangerous crash diet for two weeks. The teenager, identified as Mei, consumed only small portions of vegetables and laxatives in her desperate attempt to fit into a new birthday dress.
The teenager was rushed to hospital after suddenly losing strength in her limbs and developing shortness of breath. Her condition became critical, requiring a 12-hour emergency medical procedure to save her life.
Dangerous Drop in Potassium Levels Leads to Life-Threatening Condition
Medical examinations revealed that Mei’s blood potassium levels had dropped well below the normal range. This resulted in a condition called serious hypokalaemia, which doctors said was caused by her unbalanced diet.
Dr Peng Min at Hunan People’s Hospital explained that serious hypokalaemia can cause respiratory failure and sudden cardiac arrest. Another doctor from a separate hospital in Hunan, surnamed Li, said that unbalanced diets and dehydration can lower potassium levels in the body.
Dr Peng advised people to eat potatoes, chicken and bananas, plus drink sufficient water daily to maintain adequate potassium levels.
Mei has since recovered fully and was discharged from hospital. She promised to never use extreme methods to lose weight again.
Similar Cases of Extreme Dieting in China
Mei’s experience is part of a troubling trend among Chinese individuals engaging in extreme weight loss practices. Last year, a 26-year-old Chinese man was hospitalised with hypokalaemia after using intermittent fasting combined with heavy daily exercise.
He restricted his eating to an eight-hour window each day.
In 2021, a 38-year-old woman required hospital treatment after attempting to lose weight by drinking large amounts of water. Following online video instructions, she consumed 4,000ml of salt water all at once, resulting in water intoxication.
Online observers criticized Mei’s extreme approach. One person commented that Mei could have simply run 5km a day instead of subjecting herself to such harsh methods.
Another pointed out that weight lost through unhealthy diets can easily return. A third observer noted that using laxatives was not weight loss but essentially self-harm.
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