Genetic abnormality kills girl

A THREE-YEAR-OLD girl widely reported to have died of obesity was actually the victim of a genetic abnormality.

The problem meant that the girl’s body was constantly telling her that she was starving to death, causing her to scream for food all the time.

Her case was highlighted in a Commons Health Committee report on Britain’s obesity epidemic, which warned that obese children could become the first generation to die before their parents.

Scientists yesterday criticised the committee and the media over their handling of the case, suggesting they had added to the distress experienced by the girl’s family.

Newspaper reports said the dead youngster was a Bengali girl from East London. She should have weighed around 2st 4lb but had a Body Mass Index (BMI) which equated to around 6st.

Dr Sadaf Farooqi, of Addenbrooke’s Hospital, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “We were sent information and got samples about this child who was clearly obese at a very early age and running into problems.

“It is an incontrovertible fact that a genetic defect was the cause of this child’s problem.”

Dr Farooqi said she did not hear of the case again until the committee’s report sparked a mass of newspaper headlines. “I was appalled and I must say I felt immediately for the parents and family of this child.

“The clear implication was that the child had been overfed, with bad parents, resulting in severe obesity and her death. That is simply not true.”

Dr Farooqi continued: “I was very disappointed and, I must say, annoyed at the way this child’s case was represented.

“Not only the actual description of the case and how it was handled by the media and the Commons committee, but also as to the fact that it was completely scientifically inappropriate to link this child’s case with the common problem of childhood obesity.”