BEIJING: A woman from central China undertook a fasting regimen for half a month and lost 20kg, but ultimately suffered from a serious brain disorder from which she may never fully recover.
The 31-year-old woman from Henan province, who wishes to remain anonymous, was recently reported by local media to have developed walking difficulties and memory deterioration after consuming nothing but water for 15 consecutive days.
Standing at 160 cm tall, the woman, previously weighing 70kg, managed to shed 20kg in mere weeks due to her extreme diet.
According to neurologist Sun Guifang from The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, the woman was diagnosed with Wernicke’s encephalopathy, a severe brain disorder resulting from a deficiency of essential vitamins and folic acid.
This medical condition can lead to symptoms such as confusion, balance issues while walking, eye movement disorders, and memory impairment.
Sun noted that the woman’s gait resembled that of a penguin, and he warned that this symptom might never be resolved.
He attributed her condition to the extreme diet, emphasising that the body relies on regular meals for essential nutrients. Both dieting and fasting can pose serious risks to health.
The woman informed Sun that she was practising “bigu,” a Taoist fasting technique rooted in the belief that one can achieve transcendence and immortality by subsisting solely on qi – the vital energy circulating throughout the universe.
Bigu, which translates literally to “grain avoidance,” is believed to have originated before the Qin dynasty (221 BC–206 BC).
While modern approaches to weight loss advocate for a diet rich in minimally processed foods, low in sugar and fat, and high in protein, many individuals still support bigu as an effective method for weight loss and detoxification.
On one popular social media platform, the hashtag #bigu boasts 360 million views and has sparked 2.4 million discussions.
Some individuals shared experiences of losing over 10kg after consuming only water and vitamin supplements for a month.
Other posts encourage bigu practitioners to remember to intake qi by engaging in meditation in well-ventilated spaces.
However, there are frequent reports indicating that bigu has led to serious health issues and even fatalities.
In 2020, a 26-year-old man from Heilongjiang province in northeastern China died after drinking only water for 52 days, developing dementia-like symptoms just two days before his death.
Last year, a woman in Zhejiang province lost 5kg after a week of consuming only water and an “energy pill,” but her fasting led to severe damage to her intestinal mucosa, resulting in a bacterial infection in her bloodstream. She also experienced life-threatening hypokalemia.
There is a growing call to ban such content.
One commenter stated: “Bigu is not traditional culture but an extremely unhealthy lifestyle.”
Another remarked: “I find these individuals ruthless. I can’t even skip one meal in a day.” - South China Morning Post
