Teen Left Blind And Deaf After Living Off A Diet Of Chips, Crisps And Sausages

Time factor forcing you to nibble only on fast or junk food? Then, think again! A teenager from Bristol has been left blind and deaf after eating only chips, white bread, processed ham and sausages for a decade. Family of the unnamed teenager started to sense something wrong when he began to lose his hearing and eyesight at the age of 14.

On turning 17, the boy was left blind on account of his serious nutritional deficiency. The teen, now 19, suffers from an eating disorder known as ARFID (avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder).

Speaking to The Sun, the mother of the teen who chooses to remain anonymous said her son began going off his meals when he was about seven years old and would only eat chips, sausages, processed ham and white bread.

 “The first we knew about it was when he began coming home from primary school with his packed lunch untouched.

“I would make him nice sandwiches and put an apple or other fruit in and he wouldn’t eat any of it. His teachers became concerned too.

“His brother and sister have never stopped eating. They love everything. But he was just as fit and healthy as them.

“He has always been skinny so we had no weight concerns. You hear about junk food and obesity all the time – but he was as thin as a rake.”

Dr Atan, of University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, added: “When this behaviour starts as a child it tends to continue as an adult.

“The processed food was not the problem per se. It was he was only eating that type of food and nothing else.

“Nutrients are extremely important for vision and hearing – but a lot of people are not aware of that.”

The family has now agreed for the unusual case to be reported in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine to raise awareness of ARFID.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Family of the teen started to sense something wrong when he began to lose his hearing and eyesight at the age of 14
• The mother of the teen said her son began going off his meals when he was about seven years old
• The teen, now 19, suffers from an eating disorder known as ARFID