Suman Khatun, a five year-old obese Indian girl who suffers from a suspected hormonal imbalance, is so insatiably hungry she is eating herself to death, doctors fear
Suman Khatun is a 5-year-old Indian girl who just can’t stop eating. Doctors say she will end-up eating herself to death if she doesn’t seek medical help soon.
Suman’s problems were noticed ever since she was three months old and by the time she turned two, she weighed 38kg. Now, at age five, Suman weighs over 75 kg and will continue to gain around 15 kg every year, unless her condition is cured.
Her parents earn little over $10 a week and are having problems providing the amount of food Suman needs. She eats 10 kg of rice, 5 kg of potatoes, 24 eggs and 6 liters of milk every week and often goes around asking neighbors for more food. When her family refuses to feed her, she screams, cries and even throws rocks at them.
Suman already suffers from severe respiratory issues and her family can’t afford to take her to Calcutta for a specialized consult. According to the local doctor, Suman Kathun has a malfunctioning pituitary gland and needs to see a specialist in Delhi or Mumbai, before it’s too late.
In just one week, she devours over 10 kilograms of rice, 24 eggs, six litres of milk and five kilos of potatoes
Her hunger even leads her to sneak out and pester her neighbours for food in the village of Metiala in the Indian state of West Bengal
Earning just £6 a week, her parents have reached their wits' end with their daughter who weighs in at almost 12 stone, despite being only three and half feet tall
"When she is not fed she cries, shouts, screams and has even thrown rocks at us" says Suman's mother Belly Bibi, 33
Crippled by their daughter's appetite, Suman's family has been unable to afford to travel to Calcutta for expert medical treatment
Suman struggles to walk as she suffers from severe respiratory problems
At 2, Suman weighed seven stone and her weight has increased by up to 15 kilos per year
Dr Saha fears that she will die if her parents do not stop over-feeding her or seek medical care in Delhi or in Mumbai