LONDON -- A young model who dieted down to 84 pounds went on an eating binge for one meal, gained 19 pounds and died, according to a letter in a respected medical journal.
The letter in the 'Lancet' journal Thursday said the 23-year-old model had been excessively concerned about her weight for several years and developed a variant of anorexia nervosa called bulimia.
Anorexia nervosa is a personality disorder found chiefly in young women that is characterized by an aversion to food and an obsession with weight loss. Bulimia is a continuous, abnormal hunger that manifests itself in an irresistible urge to eat, generally followed by self-induced vomiting.
Dr. Gillian Edwards, who wrote the letter, said the woman's fatal meal consisted of liver, kidneys, steak, eggs, cheese, bread, mushrooms, carrots and a whole cauliflower. The model then consumed 10 peaches, four pears, two apples, four bananas, two pounds of plums, two pounds of grapes and two glasses of milk.
The young woman died during an operation after being admitted to the hospital with 'gross abdominal distention,' Edwards said.