A Diet of Sausage, Ham, and Chips Led to Blindness in Teenage Boy

A diet limited to sausage, ham, and fried potatoes led to vision loss in a teenage boy, according to a case study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers examined the case of a normal weight, 14-year-old boy who presented picky eating habits and tiredness that clinicians treated with nutrition counseling and B12 injections. Despite eating adequate calories from processed meat, chips, and french fries, by 15 years, the patient developed hearing and vision loss, which worsened over the course of the next two years. Clinicians found that despite maintaining a normal weight, his diet consisted solely of processed meat and fried potatoes, leading to numerous deficiencies such as selenium, copper, B vitamins, and vitamin D. The doctors diagnosed him with nutritional optic neuropathy due to his nutrient-deficient diet.