42 Days Without Food: Woman's Dramatic Weight Loss Journey After Jaw Surgery

Nineteen-year-old Javeria Wasim, a content creator based in Toronto, recently opened up about her unexpected weight loss following jaw surgery. In a video posted on Instagram on February 20, she reflected on how being on a strict liquid diet for weeks drastically affected her weight.

'I Haven't Eaten Solid Food in 42 Days':

In the video, Javeria detailed the challenges of her post-surgery diet. “I haven’t taken a single bite of food in 42 days,” she shared. After breaking her jaw, her mouth had to be wired shut, leaving her with no choice but to rely solely on liquids for six weeks.

She also documented her weight changes throughout this period. “On the day of my surgery, I weighed 98 pounds (44.4 kg) at 5 feet 4 inches tall. Just a week later, my weight dropped to 94 pounds (42.6 kg). By the second week, I was down to 91 pounds (41.2 kg), and by week three, I had reached 89 pounds (40.3 kg),” she explained.

Doctor’s Concern Over Rapid Weight Loss:

As her weight continued to decline, her doctor intervened, warning her about the risks of inadequate nutrition. “That’s when my doctor told me, ‘This isn’t healthy. If you don’t get enough nutrients, your bone won’t heal properly,’” Javeria recalled.

Taking her doctor’s advice seriously, she introduced high-calorie nutritional drinks like Ensure Plus Calories into her diet. “Each bottle has 350 calories, and that helped me regain some weight. By week four, I was back up to 90.5 pounds (41 kg). In week five, I reached 93 pounds (42.1 kg), and now, in week six, I’m at 94.5 pounds (42.8 kg),” she said.

Now, with just two days left before her wires are removed, Javeria is eagerly anticipating her first solid meal. “You have no idea how excited I am to finally eat real food again,” she expressed.

Mixed Reactions to Her Diet Journey:

When a patient’s jaw is wired shut, consuming solid foods becomes nearly impossible, often leading to unintentional weight loss. ^[1]

Her account raised alarm among social media users, with one writing, "Get help." Another cautioned, "Crash diets like this will end up harming you more than helping. You may lose weight in the short term, but when you return to regular eating, the weight might return rapidly."

Others proposed other dietary methods. "You could have blended some food and had that instead," said one user.

References:

1. Garrow, J. S., & Gardiner, G. T. (1981). Maintenance of weight loss in obese patients after jaw wiring. British medical journal (Clinical research ed.), 282(6267), 858–860. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.282.6267.858

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Sai Sindhuja K/MSM)