Written by In the pursuit of beauty, how much are we willing to risk? For one young girl, the price was her life. Sreenanda, a bright and ambitious teenager from Kerala, was like any other girl her age full of dreams and aspirations. But in today’s world, where social media dictates beauty standards, she found herself trapped in an invisible cage. The pressure to look slim was overwhelming. Every day, she was flooded with images of influencers and celebrities with “perfect” bodies. She wanted to be like them, to fit in, to be admired. And so, she embarked on a dangerous journey one that would ultimately take her life.
The Deadly Obsession with Thinness
In Koothuparamba, Kerala, the heartbreaking story of 18-year-old M. Sreenanda has cast a dark light on the perilous paths some teenagers tread in pursuit of societal beauty standards. A first-year undergraduate student at Pazhassi Raja NSS College, Mattannur, Sreenanda’s life was in danger due to severe health complications arising from extreme dieting practices she adopted after following online weight-loss plans.
Sreenanda’s struggle began with an intense fear of weight gain, an emotion faced by many adolescents struggling with body image issues. She came across a weight loss trend online that promised “quick and effortless results.” It was called the hot water diet a method where one drinks excessive amounts of hot water to “burn fat” and suppress appetite. Online sources, unverified fitness influencers, and even peers claimed it was effective. Desperate to shed a few pounds, she believed it.
The Silent Battle Within
Medical professionals suspected that Sreenanda suffered from anorexia nervosa, a severe eating disorder characterized by an obsessive fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image. Individuals with this condition often perceive themselves as overweight despite being underweight and resort to extreme measures to avoid eating.
At first, it seemed harmless. She replaced meals with hot water, thinking she was on the right path. But soon, her body began to suffer. Drinking excessive hot water flushed out essential nutrients and electrolytes from her system, leading to severe dehydration. Her energy levels dropped, and she started feeling dizzy, weak, and nauseous. Yet, she ignored the warning signs. The obsession with weight loss had clouded her judgment.
Her family noticed changes. She was no longer her energetic self. She felt tired all the time, often skipping meals, and complained about nausea. But she reassured everyone, saying she was fine trying to “stay fit.”
The Collapse
One evening, Sreenanda fainted at home. Her parents rushed her to the hospital, unaware of what was happening to their daughter. The doctors were shocked her body was severely dehydrated, her sodium levels had dropped dangerously low, and her organs were under immense stress. The so-called “hot water diet” had drained her body of essential minerals, making it impossible for her heart to function properly.
Approximately five months before her death, she was taken to a hospital where doctors advised her family to ensure she ate properly and sought psychiatric consultation. However, her health continued to decline. Two months before her passing, she was taken to Kozhikode Medical College for tests, where doctors reiterated the need for nutritional care and psychiatric support.
The Final Days
Two weeks before her death, Sreenanda’s condition worsened significantly. Her blood sugar dropped to dangerously low levels, and she experienced severe breathing difficulties, leading to her immediate admission to Co-operative Hospital in Thalassery. A consultant physician at the hospital reported that upon admission, she was critically underweight at just 24 kg, with extremely low sugar levels, sodium, and blood pressure. Despite being placed on ventilator support, her condition did not improve, and she succumbed to her illness.
Despite all efforts, Sreenanda could not be saved. She passed away, leaving her family in unbearable pain. A young life was lost, not due to an illness or an accident, but because of a dangerous beauty standard that made her believe she had to starve herself to be accepted.
Sreenanda’s death is not just a personal tragedy it is a reflection of a larger social issue. Who should take responsibility? Social media influencers promoting dangerous diets without medical backing? Society, for setting impossible beauty standards? The lack of awareness about the risks of extreme dieting? The answer is all of them.
Teenage girls today are under immense pressure to be thin. Their self-worth is measured in inches and numbers on a scale. Instead of being taught self-love and body acceptance, they are being pushed towards unrealistic goals. The hot water diet is just one example there are countless others: starvation diets, detox drinks, appetite suppressant pills, and unregulated weight-loss supplements.
The tragedy is that many of these diets are not just unhealthy they are life-threatening. Sreenanda’s death should be a wake-up call. If we don’t act now, more lives will be lost to this toxic culture of body shaming and unhealthy beauty standards.
A Call for Change
Sreenanda’s story must not be forgotten. Her death should serve as a warning to every teenager, every parent, and every society that prioritizes appearance over health. We need to educate young girls about the dangers of extreme dieting. We need stricter regulations on influencers promoting unsafe weight-loss methods. And most importantly, we need to redefine beauty not as thinness, but as health and confidence.
No child should have to die just to feel accepted. No family should have to lose a loved one to a senseless trend. The cost of these dangerous fads is too high. Sreenanda’s life was priceless but it was taken away by a false promise of beauty.
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