Kerala teen succumbs to extreme dieting after alleged body-shaming
Kannur (Kerala), Mar 11 (PTI): An 18-year-old girl in Kerala lost her life after following an unhealthy diet in an attempt to lose weight, allegedly after being body-shamed, doctors said.
The deceased, Sreenanda, a native of Koothuparamba in Kannur, passed away while undergoing treatment. She had been admitted to Thalassery Co-operative Hospital with severe health complications caused by the extreme diet.
She succumbed to her condition last Saturday while still under medical care.
Quoting her parents, doctors who treated the teenager at the Thalassery Co-operative Hospital said she had relied on YouTube for diet guidance after allegedly being body-shamed.
Her condition is suspected to be linked to anorexia nervosa, a severe eating disorder characterised by extreme food restriction, an intense fear of weight gain, and a distorted perception of body image, Dr Nagesh Manohar Prabhu, who treated her told PTI.
Sreenanda had drastically reduced her food intake as part of her weight-loss regimen.
Earlier, she had been taken to the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, after complaining of difficulty in drinking water. The doctors there reportedly advised her parents to consult a psychiatrist, as they recognised that this was a serious case of anorexia nervosa. However, there was no follow-up.
Eventually, when she struggled to eat, she was brought to the Thalassery Co-operative Hospital.
"When she was admitted, her blood pressure was 70, oxygen level 70-72, and blood sugar 45. Her sodium and potassium levels were also critically low," Dr Prabhu said.
She had lost significant muscle mass due to prolonged malnutrition from her weight-loss regimen, he added.
While reviewing her case history, doctors examined her old photographs. "She appeared to weigh around 50 kg in her earlier photos. However, by the time she was brought to our hospital, she weighed less than 25 kg," the doctor said.
She reached this critical stage within three months.
"Her parents said she had started her own weight-loss treatment six months ago. She gradually reduced her food intake and completely stopped eating three months ago. The parents sought medical help only after she stopped drinking water," he said.
"The parents did not realise it was a psychiatric condition. They assumed it was just the influence of YouTube," Dr Prabhu said. "It was a case of anorexia nervosa, which could have been treated if detected in the early stages."
He also mentioned that the teenager was not in a condition to speak, and all information was provided by her parents.
A district health official declined to comment on the matter, stating that they had not reviewed the case history.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
CM Siddaramaiah, FM Nirmala Sitharaman lead polio vaccination drive in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman led the statewide pulse polio vaccination drive on Sunday.
While Siddaramaiah kicked off the campaign along with state Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and Home Minister G Parameshwara at his residence 'Kaveri' here, Sitharaman, who is in Vijayanagara district in the state, holding Chintan Shivir, administered pulse polio drops to children below five years of age in Kamalapura.
"Smt @nsitharaman launched the Polio Immunisation Drive in Kamalapura, Karnataka, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to safeguarding child health and ensuring a polio-free India," a post on her 'X' account said.
The post further said that children under five years of age were administered Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) drops, "reinforcing the collective effort to protect future generations through timely immunisation."
According to the details shared by the health departments, about 62.4 lakh children have been identified for it.
ALSO READ: Man from Rajasthan arrested for duping devotees visiting Kollur Temple using fake website
"Under the routine immunization programme, every Child is given 5 doses of OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine) and 3 doses of IPV (inactivated injectable polio vaccine) and Government of Karnataka is committed that no child should miss these doses," a government statement said.
Apart from all hospitals in the state, special focus will be given to immunise children living in villages, hilly areas, brick kilns, slums, migrant areas, farmhouses, urban slums. Booths will also be set up in railway stations, metro stations, airports and Seaports, the statement said.
The state health department has set up 33,258 booths and deployed 1,030 mobile teams, 2,096 transit teams, 1,13,115 vaccinators and 7,322 Supervisors.
All children below five years of age will be administered the oral polio vaccine on December 21, 2025.
"Even if your child has received any number of doses of OPV before, it is very essential to immunise your child again during this round," the department said.
In order to allay concerns, the department said the polio vaccine is completely safe and people should not to believe in any false rumours.
Smt @nsitharaman launched the Polio Immunization Drive in Kamalapura, Karnataka, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to safeguarding child health and ensuring a polio-free India.
— Nirmala Sitharaman Office (@nsitharamanoffc) December 21, 2025
On the occasion, children under five years of age were administered Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV)… pic.twitter.com/PN4IJUGtnn
ಗೃಹಕಚೇರಿ ಕೃಷ್ಣಾದಲ್ಲಿ "ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಲಸಿಕಾ ದಿನ"ವನ್ನು ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗೆ ಪಲ್ಸ್ ಪೋಲಿಯೊ ಲಸಿಕೆ ಹಾಕುವ ಮೂಲಕ ಉದ್ಘಾಟಿಸಿದೆ.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) December 21, 2025
ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಬ್ಬರೂ ತಮ್ಮ 5 ವರ್ಷದೊಳಗಿನ ಮಕ್ಕಳಿದ ತಪ್ಪದೇ ಪೋಲಿಯೊ ಲಸಿಕೆ ಹಾಕಿಸುವ ಮೂಲಕ "ಪೋಲಿಯೊ ಮುಕ್ತ ಭಾರತ"ದ ನಮ್ಮ ಅಭಿಯಾನಕ್ಕೆ ಬೆಂಬಲವಾಗಿ ನಿಲ್ಲಬೇಕು ಎಂದು ಮನವಿ ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇನೆ.
ಆರೋಗ್ಯ ಸಚಿವರಾದ ದಿನೇಶ್… pic.twitter.com/uClMoqOnyB
