Chinese weight-loss trend of mixing tea with enemas sends many to hospital

An unconventional weight-loss remedy of drinking a mixture of an external-use constipation medication with tea has trended on Chinese social media, sparking doctors to warn the public not to try it after receiving some emergency cases.The extreme slimming method has captivated social media in recent weeks because of claims that it has the remarkable effect of helping people shed 4kg of weight within just two days, Shangyou News reported.In some viral videos, influencers squeeze a glycerin enema into a sugar-free tea product, shake the bottle and drink the mixture. They achieved an impressive weight-loss result by going to the toilet frequently, the report said.Many internet users followed suit, but some people’s health received negative effects.A woman, surnamed Ma, told the media that she had tried the mixture, finding that it tasted slightly sweet, but she felt severe discomfort half an hour later.She tried to relieve her pain by drinking warm water. Hours later, she started suffering from repeated diarrhoea and vomiting.Many internet users followed suit, but some experienced adverse health effects and severe discomfort, such as diarrhoea and vomiting. Photo: Shutterstock“I went to the toilet once an hour. I could not sleep for the whole night,” Ma was quoted as saying.A major hospital in central Henan province said on social media in early July that it had received a lot of emergency patients who had become ill from trying this slimming method.The hospital reminded the public that sugar-free tea beverages, which contain theophylline, polyphenols and tannic acid, could cause diarrhoea and stomach pain in people with sensitive stomachs if they did not eat enough.“If people add the glycerin enema to it, the laxative effect will be doubled. It is a ‘double blow’ to the digestive system,” the hospital said.Further ReadingIt reiterated that an enema was only for external use and was strictly prohibited for consumption. There was no evidence of slimming effects if taken with tea.Sun Hailan, a nutritionist at Chongqing Women’s and Children’s Hospital, said taking a glycerin enema orally would seriously harm the digestive system by causing an electrolyte imbalance and intestinal mucosal damage.A hospital nutritionist warned that drinking a glycerin enema damages the digestive system, causing electrolyte imbalances and tissue damage. Photo: Shutterstock“Even if your weight dropped, what you have lost is not fat, but impacted stool and plenty of water from your body,” Sun was quoted as saying.“Once you replenish your water, you will regain weight in a short time. It is not helpful for weight loss.”People who become ill from trying strange ways to lose weight often make headlines in China.A 25-year-old woman in eastern Zhejiang province was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis after she followed an extreme weight-loss regime of binge-eating once a week but hardly eating a thing for the other six days.