How Eating Cotton Balls For Weight Loss Can Kill You

Though the idea of eating cotton balls to lose weight has been around for at least a decade, it's one that experts advise against trying. Besides not offering any nutritional value, as OSF Healthcare's dietitian Nathan Hammam notes, cotton balls can also be harmful to the digestive system. According to Healthline, cotton balls can't be digested in the body, so they remain in the stomach, eventually creating a mass that blocks the digestive tract. This mass can cause pain, abdominal swelling, and infection, and in many cases, it will need to be surgically removed. Failing to do so can lead to tissue death that may be fatal.

Verywell Mind also says that cotton balls, even when soaked in liquid, can be a choking hazard and may become lodged in the throat or esophagus. This, too, can cause death.

Considering the risks involved, the cotton ball diet is generally considered a form of disordered eating. And though it isn't classified as an eating disorder on its own, it may develop alongside one, such as anorexia or bulimia. According to STRIPED and the Academy for Eating Disorders, an eating disorder-related death occurs every 52 minutes in the U.S.

If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).