A 19-year-old student from Meruvambayi, Kannur, has tragically passed away due to anorexia nervosa, a severe eating disorder marked by an intense fear of gaining weight, local media reported on Monday.
Sreenanda, a first-year student at Pazhassiraja NSS College in Mattannur, had been undergoing treatment at Thalassery Cooperative Hospital for 10 days before succumbing to the illness on Saturday.
She had been placed on ventilator support for four days as her condition deteriorated. Relatives revealed that she had been avoiding food for over a year due to extreme concerns about weight gain.
Dr. Nagesh Prabhu, who treated her, stated that upon admission, her blood pressure and pulse were critically low, with dangerously low blood sugar levels of 40-50.
Her electrolyte levels were severely depleted, and prolonged food deprivation had caused damage to internal organs, including the stomach and intestines.
Dr. Prabhu stressed the mental health aspect of her condition, noting that while psychiatric intervention was crucial, it was already too late by the time she was admitted.
He also mentioned that Sreenanda was bedridden upon arrival, and though an exact weight assessment was not possible, she was severely underweight at the time of hospitalization.
