Takeout food addiction puts student's life at risk

A 19-year-old student in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, has been saved after two weeks of intensive care following his unhealthy diet, which consisted of frequent takeout food of high fat, high sugar, and high calorie.

The young man, who stands at a height of 170 cm, weighed a staggering 95 kilograms. His sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise further exacerbated his health issues.

The teenager sought medical help due to sudden abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting. Upon examination, doctors determined that he was suffering from acute pancreatitis, a potentially life-threatening condition.

The patient also presented with severe respiratory failure, kidney dysfunction, and secondary abdominal infection upon admission. He was immediately transferred to the ICU.

Medical professionals utilized various treatments such as fasting, bowel evacuation, plasma exchange, and blood filtration before finally saving the young man's life after two weeks.

Ye Jihui, a doctor with the ICU department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, revealed that the patient had a habit of frequently ordering takeout meals, and his preference for oily, high-fat, and high-sugar dishes contributed to his deteriorating health.

When he was admitted, his blood lipid levels were more than 100 times above the normal range, and the blood sample extracted from his body had a milky appearance. Ye explained that the appearance of "milk blood" was a result of excessive fat intake.

Ye said that acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory reaction caused by the activation of pancreatic enzymes in the pancreas, which is usually associated with alcohol consumption, overeating, and gallstones.

Ye said the hospital has received similar cases in recent years. The common characteristics of these patients are: young age, overweight, often overeating, drinking excessive beverages, rarely exercising, and not taking underlying diseases seriously.

In addition, the hospital has also admitted many cases of severe pancreatitis in pregnant women, which is related to the hormone secretion during pregnancy and changes in lifestyle.