A first-year college student in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai district died on Tuesday after consuming a chemical substance for weight loss based on advice she reportedly watched on YouTube. The incident has raised serious concerns over the growing trend of blindly following online health remedies without medical supervision. Police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the tragic death.
The deceased, identified as Kalaiyarasi, was studying at a private college in Narimedu and lived with her family in Meenambalpuram, Sellur. According to police, she was concerned about being slightly overweight and had expressed her desire to lose weight to her parents. Despite being reassured by them, she searched for weight-loss solutions online.
Kalaiyarasi reportedly watched a YouTube video titled “Borax for Weight Loss” and purchased borax, locally known as Vengaram, from a traditional medicine shop on January 16. After consuming the substance as instructed in the video, she soon developed severe vomiting and diarrhoea, prompting her family to rush her to a private hospital for treatment.
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Although she was brought back home after initial treatment, her condition worsened, and she complained of intense abdominal pain and bleeding during defecation. Late at night, her family rushed her to the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai, where doctors declared her brought dead. A post-mortem examination was conducted before the body was handed over to the family.
Family members and medical professionals have urged the public, especially youngsters, not to consume any medication without consulting qualified doctors. Doctors at the government hospital warned that self-medication—whether allopathic or traditional—can be extremely dangerous and even fatal. The incident has renewed calls for greater awareness about the risks of medical misinformation on social media platforms.
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