Archive · 26 Aug 2026
Water-Only Diet Leaves China Woman With Serious Brain Disorder
A woman in China tried to lose weight by drinking only water for 15 days.
She lost about 20 kilograms in a few weeks.
Afterward, she became confused and had trouble remembering things.
Her eyes and balance also stopped working normally.
Doctors said she had Wernicke's encephalopathy, a serious brain problem caused by a lack of vitamin B1.
Her walking became very unsteady and looked like a penguin's walk.
Some people connect this kind of fasting with a practice called bigu.
Doctors warn that going without food can cause dangerous vitamin shortages and other life-threatening problems.
A 31-year-old woman in Henan reportedly consumed only water for 15 days while attempting to lose weight.
She lost about 20 kilograms within several weeks, falling from approximately 70 kilograms.
Doctors diagnosed her with Wernicke's encephalopathy, linked to severe vitamin B1 deficiency and malnutrition.
Her symptoms included confusion, memory problems, impaired eye movement and severe balance difficulties.
Doctors warned that her penguin-like walking pattern could continue despite treatment, while experts cautioned against unsupervised prolonged fasting.
- Who
- A 31-year-old woman from Henan province, treated by doctors at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University.
- What
- She developed Wernicke's encephalopathy and severe balance and walking problems after an extreme water-only diet.
- When
- She reportedly drank only water for 15 days and lost the weight over several weeks; the article does not give an exact date.
- Where
- Henan province and the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in China.
- Why
- She was attempting to lose weight and reportedly practiced bigu, an abstinence practice associated by some followers with sustaining the body through qi.
Fasting and Bigu Claims
Medical Warnings
Purpose of the practice
Fasting and Bigu Claims
Some bigu followers and social-media users promote extreme fasting for weight loss or detoxification and may believe the body can sustain itself through qi, or vital energy.
Medical Warnings
Medical professionals warn that prolonged food restriction can deprive the body of essential vitamins and minerals.
Safety of water-only fasting
Fasting and Bigu Claims
Some social-media posts describe consuming only water and supplements for extended periods, presenting the practice as an option for weight control.
Medical Warnings
Doctors warn that unsupervised fasting can cause neurological damage, electrolyte disturbances and potentially fatal complications.
- Woman's age
- 31 years old
- Reported starting weight
- About 70 kilograms
- Reported weight loss
- About 20 kilograms
- Reported water-only period
- 15 days
- Diagnosis
- Wernicke's encephalopathy
- Associated deficiency
- Severe vitamin B1, or thiamine, deficiency
- Reported walking problem
- An unusually unsteady gait described as resembling a penguin's walk