This takes the saying you are what you eat to a new level. We all know it is important to eat your fruits and veggies, however this teen seemed to miss the memo. He was surviving on a diet of fries and chips and it ended up costing him gravely. See how his unhealthy eating habits left this teen blind.
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Turns Out A Diet Of Fries And Chips Is A Bad Thing
We all know that a diet of nothing but junk food can't be good for us, but for one teen the results were surprisingly bad. A 17-year-old was left with permanent blind spots in his vision because of poor diet choices. At 14-years-old the teen realized something was wrong. He went to his doctor after feeling off kilter and constant fatigue.
The doctor's solution at the time was a vitamin boost and dietary advice. Unilad shares that the teenager was diagnosed with "microcytic anemia — which can cause fatigue — and low B12 level." He was given some B12 injections and told he needed to improve his diet choices. However, the teen continued his diet of fries and chips so over the next several years his sight rapidly deteriorated.
Not only did his vision continue to worsen, but he also began to experience hearing loss. By the age of 17 "he was diagnosed with 'optic neuropathy'."
Poor Diet Left A Teen Blind
You may be thinking, but diet couldn't really be the case for all of this, could it? The doctor was informed that the unidentified teen had always been a picky eater. He explained that the teen had aversions to certain textures of food and refused to eat any that seemed unappealing to him. Due to his aversions "the teenager's diet was 'essentially a portion of chips from the local fish and chip shop every day, crisps and sometimes slices of white bread and occasional slices of ham.'"
He did not typically include any fruits or vegetables in his diet. Not having a well balanced diet lead to him lacking in many essential vitamins and minerals. Tests showed that he was low in "B12, copper, selenium, and Vitamin D." Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can have serious consequences, including optic neuropathy.
Although the teen maintains his peripheral vision he now suffers from "permanent blind spots right in the middle of his vision and has been officially registered blind." This young man is now suffering simply because he existed only on a diet of fries and chips. If you have a picky eater, doctors encourage you to calmly introduce new foods one or two at a time with each meal.
It is essential that your child, and yourself, get the essential vitamins and minerals from foods like fresh fruits and vegetables. As well as healthy fats and good sources of protein. Having a varied and balanced diet is the key to health.
