If people develop a full-fledged eating disorder, anorexia or bulimia, they can suffer damage to their heart, liver or kidneys.
They can suffer chemical imbalances that lead to cardiac arrest, the reason suspected for the attack that led to Terri Schiavo's vegetative state.
8mm
The coroner ruled it out -- actually made fun of the theory in polite medical language -- but some people never catch on or catch up. I want to come back to this point because there IS a medical explanation for the kind of short-term, one-time chemical imbalance that Terri suffered. It is caused by trauma.