Fat caused killer blood clot in lung

A “SEVERELY” overweight 13-year-old boy died after he gorged on so much food that he got a fatal blood clot.

The 16-stone teen is believed to be the youngest victim to die from obesity in the UK.

One health expert said: “I have never heard of a child so young having their death put down to obesity. It just shows how bad things are getting.

“Children are fairly resilient and one wouldn’t expect an obese child to die so young.”

A post-mortem revealed that the boy collapsed and died from a blood clot that travelled from his leg to his lung. The pathologist said he could find no other reason for the clot developing apart from the youngster’s “severe” obesity.

However, the local coroner ruled that the death was natural and decided there would be no inquest.

The victim – who is not being named to protect the family’s privacy – had been to see his GP the day before he died complaining of swollen feet.

The post-mortem report noted that he had been gaining weight from a young age.

It also revealed he had an enlarged liver with evidence of fatty deposits, an early sign of liver failure. At the time of his death earlier this year, the boy had a body mass index of 42 – about twice the healthy level.

Dr Jude Oben of London’s Royal Free Hospital, said: “Obesity constricts blood flow in the legs and a clot can form which breaks off and lodges in the pulmonary artery in the lung.”

Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, said: “We have still not got to grips with obesity in children.” The Star Says: Page 6