Teenager Dies at AIIMS After Prolonged Junk Food Consumption, Doctors Say

New Delhi: A 16-year-old girl from Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, has died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi in a case that doctors say highlights the potentially fatal consequences of prolonged junk food consumption.

The teenager, identified as Ahana, was a Class XI student at Hashmi Girls Inter College and the daughter of Mansoor Khan, a resident of Mohalla Afghanistan in Amroha. According to medical experts, Ahana’s regular intake of fast foods such as burgers, pizza, chow mein and instant noodles severely damaged her digestive system, ultimately leading to her death.

Doctors at AIIMS said prolonged and excessive consumption of fast food caused perforations in her intestines and significantly weakened her digestive tract. Family members revealed that Ahana rarely ate home-cooked meals and had a strong preference for junk food, a habit whose seriousness was not fully understood at the time.

Ahana’s health began to deteriorate in September, when she started experiencing severe abdominal pain and persistent weakness. On November 30, as her condition worsened, her family rushed her to a private hospital in Moradabad. Medical examinations revealed an intestinal perforation and intestinal obstruction, conditions doctors directly linked to her long-term dietary habits.

An emergency surgery was performed the same night and was initially successful. After nearly 10 days of treatment, Ahana’s condition showed improvement and she was discharged. Although her weakness had not fully subsided, the family hoped that rest at home would aid her recovery.

However, four days ago, Ahana’s abdominal pain and weakness suddenly intensified. She was immediately taken to AIIMS, Delhi, where she responded to initial treatment and even began walking, leading the family to believe the danger had passed.

Tragically, late Sunday night, her condition deteriorated rapidly. Despite intensive medical intervention, Ahana suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away. Her uncle, Gulzar Khan, also known as Guddu, said doctors clearly explained that her intestines had been extensively damaged due to prolonged junk food consumption and that her severely weakened body was unable to recover.

Ahana’s death has left her family devastated, with her parents inconsolable and the neighbourhood steeped in grief. Medical professionals say the incident serves as a stark warning for society at large, particularly regarding the growing dependence on fast food among children and adolescents.

Doctors caution that frequent consumption of junk food can cause serious and irreversible damage to the digestive system. Without timely dietary awareness and preventive measures, the long-term consequences, they warn, can be life-threatening.