A 17-year-old boy from Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari district died after following an extreme fruit juice-only diet for nearly three months—an alarming case that once again highlights the dangers of online health advice.
Identified as Saktheeswaran from Colachel, the teen collapsed at home on Thursday after complaining of breathlessness. Family members said he had avoided solid food entirely for almost three months, relying only on fruit juices without any medical supervision. He had also reportedly taken some unidentified medications and started working out recently.
Tragedy struck during a religious pooja at their home when he consumed solid food for the first time in months. He began vomiting soon after, then collapsed. Despite efforts to save him, he was declared dead.
Neighbours said the teenager had long struggled with body-image issues and had become increasingly withdrawn due to his weight concerns. Having recently secured college admission in Tiruchirappalli, he was determined to shed weight before starting his new academic life.
“He had become very thin over the past few months,” a neighbour told India Today, pointing to his drastic transformation through the diet he had learned about on YouTube.
Doctors have yet to confirm the exact cause of death. Authorities await the post-mortem report to determine whether his dietary habits played a direct role.
This incident comes just months after a similar death in Kerala, where 18-year-old Sreenanda from Kannur died in March 2025 after surviving only on water for an extended period due to a fear of weight gain, also triggered by online content.
Medical experts continue to warn against self-prescribed diets influenced by social media trends, emphasizing the importance of professional guidance before making any significant changes to diet or lifestyle—especially among young people.
