A 16-year-old girl from China’s Hunan Province narrowly escaped death after embarking on a dangerously restrictive diet involving only vegetables and laxatives in a bid to lose weight rapidly.The teenager, identified only as Mei, was reportedly trying to slim down quickly to fit into a new dress for her birthday. In a desperate attempt to alter her appearance, she consumed nothing but small portions of vegetables and laxatives for a full two weeks.Her crash diet took a critical toll on her health. Mei was rushed to hospital after she began experiencing sudden weakness in her arms and legs, coupled with shortness of breath. Emergency blood tests revealed that her potassium levels had plummeted to dangerously low levels, leading to a condition known as severe hypokalaemia. Recommended For YouLifestyle2025-07-27T16:26:38+00:00Here are 5 safety precautions you should take to avoid contracting MpoxEntertainment2025-07-28T13:24:14+00:00Davido joins Ghanaians to mourn Daddy Lumba while performing on stage in Toronto [Video]Sports2025-07-28T14:16:41+00:00Former Manchester City star allegedly punches one person in wild nightclub fightEx-Manchester City defender João Cancelo allegedly punched a man during a nightclub altercation in Portugal, with police investigating the incident though no formal complaint has been filed…ALSO READ: Avoid these foods if you really want to lose weightIf left untreated, hypokalaemia can cause respiratory failure, arrhythmias, and even sudden cardiac arrest.According to reports, Mei’s condition was so serious that she required an emergency 12-hour medical procedure to stabilise her condition. Doctors stated she had been on the verge of cardiac arrest. Thankfully, she made a full recovery and has since been discharged from hospital.Medical staff used Mei’s experience to highlight the dangers of extreme dieting, warning others against prioritising rapid weight loss over basic health and nutrition.ALSO READ: New countries Ghanaians can travel to without visa after Parliament’s approvalHer story also sparked widespread discussion on Chinese social media platform Weibo, where users reacted with a mixture of concern and disbelief.“She treated herself quite harshly. All she needs to do is to run 5km a day,” one user wrote.Another was more critical, commenting: ”Laxatives. She was not losing weight, she was trying to kill herself.”READ ALSO: Wondering why you keep attracting emotionally unavailable partners? Here’s whyHealth experts continue to caution against unsupervised weight loss methods, particularly among teenagers, whose bodies are still developing and especially vulnerable to nutritional imbalances.