India: Kerala teen dies after following extreme YouTube diet, experts warn of rising eating disorders

Dubai: An 18-year-old Indian girl tragically lost her life after following a dangerous weight-loss regimen she discovered on YouTube., reports in Indian media said.

Sreenanda, a first-year student at Pazhassi Raja NSS College in Kerala’s Kannur district, had reportedly been starving herself for months, leading to severe health complications.

Her condition deteriorated rapidly, and she was admitted to multiple hospitals, including Kozhikode Medical College and Thalassery Co-operative Hospital, where she was placed on ventilator support.

Despite medical intervention, she succumbed to organ failure on Saturday night.

Six months of starvation led to fatal health collapse

Doctors confirmed that Sreenanda was suffering from anorexia nervosa, a severe eating disorder marked by an extreme fear of gaining weight. Dr. Nagesh Prabhu, who treated her, revealed that she had been surviving almost entirely on water for six months.

“One of my colleagues had earlier advised her family to seek psychiatric help, but they underestimated the seriousness of the condition,” Dr. Prabhu said. “Patients with anorexia eventually lose their sense of hunger. By the time she was hospitalized, her sodium and blood sugar levels had dropped beyond correction.”

Social media’s role in dangerous diet trends

Experts warn that India, especially Kerala, is seeing a sharp rise in eating disorders due to unrealistic beauty standards promoted on social media. While such cases were once more common in Western countries, platforms glorifying size-zero figures are now influencing young minds in India.

A mental health expert emphasized, “Young people are highly impressionable. The pressure to conform to unrealistic body ideals can push them toward extreme measures, sometimes with fatal consequences.”

Growing crisis among children and teens

Sreenanda’s case is not an isolated incident. A father recounted how his eight-year-old daughter drastically lost weight within two months. Initially attributing it to sports, the family later discovered food hidden under her bed. She had been secretly starving herself after being bullied over her weight. With therapy, she is now showing signs of recovery.

Dr. Anitha Shivaprakash, a pediatrician, highlighted the alarming trend:

“Eating disorders are life-threatening, affecting not just individuals but entire families. These conditions stem from an obsessive focus on body weight and food, leading to extreme dietary habits that harm overall well-being. More alarmingly, cases among children aged 6 to 18 are rising.”

Need for awareness and early intervention

Medical experts stress that early intervention is crucial. Effective treatment includes psychotherapy, medication, nutritional counseling, and, in severe cases, hospitalization. Raising awareness about the dangers of extreme dieting and promoting body positivity can prevent further tragedies.

Sreenanda is survived by her father, Alakkadan Sreedharan, mother, M. Sreeja, and brother, Yadunand. Her heartbreaking story serves as a wake-up call to address the deadly impact of diet fads and social media influence on young lives.