Chen Xiaoyan thought that, currently, Xia needs to gain 12 jin (approximately 12 pounds) in weight within 1~2 months. She will return to the hospital for follow-up appointments every week in the near future. Currently, many young women blindly pursue weight loss. Weight-loss drugs on the market, such as detoxification and beauty-enhancing pills, often contain components of senna leaves and other laxatives. Once abused, these can accelerate metabolic depletion, shorten lifespan, or harm gastrointestinal functions.
Yu Jinlong, the director of the Department of Psychology at Guangzhou Medical University No. 1 Hospital who received Xia's case, said that Xia suffers from "anorexia nervosa." The mortality rate of this condition caused by self-starvation is as high as 5%~20%, and the recurrence rate reaches up to 20%. "It mainly affects girls aged 14~19. Girls in this age group are easily influenced by overwhelming fashion magazines and plastic surgery/beauty information, akin to societal hypnosis, where being thin is equated with beauty. In severe cases, it can lead to body image disorders, causing them to feel extremely dissatisfied with their healthy and normal bodies, pushing themselves to lose weight and change."
"Since starting her diet, her menstruation has stopped for almost four months. Fortunately, it returned to normal after treatment; otherwise, if it had stopped for more than half a year, uterine atrophy could occur, potentially preventing her from having children in the future," said Dr. Chen Xiaoyan from the Endocrinology Department at Guangzhou Medical University No. 1 Hospital. Xia came for treatment in August and October. During the time between visits, due to edema in her legs, she even stopped drinking water. "When she came in October, her weight dropped to just 34 kilograms (75 pounds). Not only did her pituitary gland shrink, but she also suffered from low thyroid function and anemia. She was so emaciated that the needle couldn't penetrate her skin when receiving intravenous fluids. After joint treatment with the psychology department and nutrition department, she gradually improved."
Xia is a beautiful and clever girl, but due to conflicts between her parents, she became very introverted, had no friends at school, and was overly concerned about others' opinions. After entering junior high school, she became obsessed with trendy fashion magazines. Coupled with classmates jokingly calling her "fat sister," she began dieting, eating nothing except fruit.
Information Times reports (by reporter Xiong Jiayan, correspondents Dai Lijuan and Liu Dan): Xia, a 14-year-old junior high school girl (pseudonym), stands 1.65 meters tall and originally weighed 120 jin (approximately 120 pounds). She was once a fair-skinned and beautiful girl. However, due to family issues, being teased by classmates as "fat sister," and following trendy fashion magazines, she developed "body dysmorphic disorder" and was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. Starting in May this year, Xia began dieting, refusing to eat anything except fruit. In just three months, she lost 44 jin (approximately 44 pounds)! Yet she was still unsatisfied, feeling that she was "not thin enough." Even after short-term treatment brought by her parents, she insisted on reducing her weight to 68 jin (approximately 68 pounds) and refused to eat more to regain weight, risking damage to her internal organs.
Currently, Xia has been discharged from the hospital. In addition to a regular diet, she consumes specially prepared "nutritional meals" provided by the hospital to "catch up with her peers' growth," aiming to restore her normal weight within a short period. Otherwise, her heart, liver, and kidney functions may be damaged.