Chinese woman faces permanent walking disability after 15-day water-only fast

A woman in her 30s in China lost 20 kilograms after drinking nothing but water for two weeks — but now faces the prospect of permanent mobility impairment.

According to the South China Morning Post, the 31-year-old woman, identified only by her surname, lives in China's Henan Province and has been suffering serious aftereffects including difficulty walking and memory loss after consuming only water for 15 consecutive days.

The woman stood 160 centimeters tall and weighed 70 kilograms before the fast, shedding 20 kilograms in just two weeks.

She sought treatment at the neurology department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University for her walking difficulties and was diagnosed with Wernicke's encephalopathy, a condition caused by deficiencies in essential vitamins and folic acid. Symptoms include confusion, impaired balance while walking, abnormal eye movements and memory loss.

Medical staff said she walked with a waddling gait resembling a penguin's and warned that her symptoms may not fully resolve.

Doctors attributed the condition to her extreme diet. "The body needs regular meals to obtain essential nutrients," they said. "Extreme dietary restriction and fasting can pose serious health risks."

During conversations with medical staff, the woman said she had been practicing "bigu," a Taoist fasting method rooted in the belief that living on "qi" — the life energy said to flow through the universe — can lead to transcendence and immortality. The word "bigu" means "avoiding grains," and the practice is believed to predate the Qin dynasty (221–206 B.C.).

While modern diets typically recommend low-sugar, low-fat, high-protein eating plans, many people in China still believe bigu is an effective method for weight loss and detoxification.

Cases in which bigu causes serious health problems — or even death — are regularly reported.

In 2020, a 26-year-old man in northeastern Heilongjiang Province died after fasting on water alone for 52 days; he reportedly showed dementia-like symptoms in the two days before his death.

Last year in Zhejiang Province, a woman lost 5 kilograms in a week by consuming only water and so-called "energy pills." The fast severely damaged her intestinal lining, allowing bacteria to enter her bloodstream, and she developed life-threatening hypokalemia.

After the story spread online, commenters reacted with alarm. "Bigu is not traditional culture — it is an extremely harmful lifestyle," one wrote. Another said: "People are too cruel to themselves. I can't even skip a single meal a day."