Death of Girl Fond of Fast Food... What Was Found in the 6 Liters Removed from Her Intestines

Intestinal Obstruction Caused by an Ultra-Processed Food Diet
6 Liters of Fecal Matter Removed from the Intestines
Died from Complications After Intestinal Stricture Surgery

A 16-year-old girl from India, who had consumed excessive amounts of so-called "junk food" such as fast food for over five years, died from complications following surgery for intestinal stricture. As various speculations arose regarding the cause of her death, an expert pointed out that her poor eating habits may have led to a rapid decline in her health.

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According to Indian media outlets such as NDTV, Ahana, a 16-year-old girl from Uttar Pradesh in northern India, was admitted to a major general hospital in New Delhi on December 19 (local time) and received intensive care, but ultimately passed away two days later on the 21st. When she was admitted to the hospital, she was suffering from typhoid fever caused by a Salmonella Typhi infection, and a perforation in her intestines made surgery difficult.

Previously, on December 3, Ahana had undergone surgery for intestinal stricture at a local private hospital, where medical staff removed up to 6 liters of fecal matter that had accumulated in her intestines. She was hospitalized for more than a week before being discharged, but due to multiple complications including typhoid fever and tuberculosis, she was transferred to a major hospital, where she died of cardiac arrest during treatment.

Ahana's family speculated that "she hardly ate home-cooked meals for 5 to 6 years and preferred fast food," adding, "We believe these eating habits were the cause of her death." However, experts believe that, in addition to her eating habits, various factors such as the intestinal stricture surgery and infections were also involved.

Dr. Piyush Ranjan, a gastroenterologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi, explained, "It was not the fast food consumption itself, but rather her poor eating habits that rapidly deteriorated her intestinal health, which was the underlying cause of death." He further stated, "The girl’s intestinal obstruction led to intestinal perforation. Intestinal obstruction occurs when the small and large intestines are blocked, causing food, digestive fluids, and gas to accumulate and create problems," adding, "She likely developed intestinal obstruction because she was unable to properly digest food."

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Research consistently shows that excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods such as fast food is harmful to intestinal health. According to the Global Burden of Disease report, unhealthy eating habits, including fast food consumption, are associated with approximately 11 million premature deaths each year. In South Korea, the number of patients with Crohn's disease, a representative chronic inflammatory bowel disease, surged by 41% over the five years from 2017 to 2021.

Causes of Crohn's disease include mycobacterial infection, excessive immune response to bacteria in the digestive tract, and genetic factors. However, recent trends indicate that the tendency of single-person households, especially among younger generations, to excessively consume ultra-processed foods such as fast food is also cited as a contributing factor. Crohn's disease is often diagnosed in young people between the ages of 15 and 35. Patients with Crohn's disease should avoid fatty meats and dairy products, alcohol, coffee, and carbonated beverages.