Diabetic ketoacidosis and rhabdomyolysis following excessive intake of a weight reducing diet.

With the awareness of health problems related to obesity, weight reducing diets have become very popular. However, if these meal supplements are not taken as recommended, they can cause considerable harm in high risk individuals. We report a case of a young obese man who developed diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) followed by rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure (ARF) after excessive intake of a high carbohydrate containing weight-reducing meal. DKA associated with excessive intake of weight reducing diets has not been reported previously. In people with obesity and insulin resistance improper use of these supplements can cause severe metabolic complications.