Teen Goes Blind, Deaf after Living Off Chips, Sausages for 10 Years

Researchers at Bristol Eye Hospital said the boy first went to his doctor at 14 complaining of tiredness. He was labeled a ‘fussy eater’ and tests showed he had low vitamin B12 levels and macrocytic anemia – a condition bringing larger-than-normal red blood cells. After being given B12 injections and dietary advice, the boy was sent home. After leaving primary school, the teenager only ever ate white bread, French fries, Pringles.

He also occasionally ate a sausage or a slice of ham. A year later he went back to the doctor because his hearing had started to go and he was suffering from impaired vision, though no cause for the deterioration had been found. By 17, the teenager from Bristol was completely blind. He admitted that he never ate fruit or vegetables.

According to a report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, physicians found yet again he had vitamin B12 and vitamin D deficiencies, as well as a reduced bone mineral density, low levels of copper and selenium, and a high zinc level.

The report said, ‘The patient confessed that since school, he had avoided foods with certain textures and only ate French fries, Pringles, white bread, processed ham slices, and sausage. ‘By the time his condition was diagnosed, the patient had permanently impaired vision.’ The journal has published the boy’s story to warn nutrition-related optic damage should always be considered by doctors finding any patient with unexplained vision symptoms.

It said, ‘The risks for poor cardiovascular health, obesity and cancer associated with junk food consumption are well known, but poor nutrition can also permanently damage the nervous system, particularly vision. ‘It is rare in developed countries. ‘The condition is potentially reversible if caught early. But if left untreated, it leads to permanent blindness.’