Experts are warming about the risks of extreme picky (挑剔的) eating after a teenager living on a diet of chips and crisps developed lasting sight loss. Eye doctors in Bristol cared for the 17-year-old after his sight had gone to the point of blindness. Tests showed he had serious vitamin deficiency (缺乏). Dr Denize Atan, who treated him at the hospital, said, “His diet was basically a portion of chips from the local fish and chip shop every day. He also used to snack on crisps and sometimes white bread and ham, and not really any fruit and vegetables.”
The teenager saw his doctor at the age of 14 because he had been feeling tired and unwell. At that time he suffered from vitamin B12 deficiency, but he did not stick with the treatment or improve his poor diet. Three years later, he was taken to the Bristol Eye Hospital because of progressive sight loss.
He was not overweight or underweight, but he had lost mineral from his bones, which was really quite shocking for a boy of his age. In terms of his sight loss, he met the standards of being blind. “He had blind spots right in the middle of his sight,” said Dr Denize Atan. “That means he can’t drive and would find it really arduous to read, watch TV or recognize faces.”
Dr Denize Atan said that parents should learn about the harm that can be caused by picky eating, and turn to experts for help or those who are concerned, she advised: “It’s best not to be anxious about picky eating, and instead calmly introduce one or two new foods with every meal.” She said multivitamin tablets can supplement (补充) a diet, but cannot take the place of eating healthily. “It’s much better to lake in vitamins through a varied and balanced diet,” she said, adding that too many certain vitamins, including vitamin A, can be harmful, “so you don’t want to overdo it.”
【小题1】What does Dr Denize Atan mean in paragraph 1?| A．The diet of the boy is not balanced. | B．Fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins. |
| C．Picky eating is common among teenagers. | D．The cause of the boyˈs disease is unknown. |
| A．To improve his poor diet. | B．To get some help to lose weight. |
| C．To be treated for his discomfort. | D．To slow down his progressive sight loss. |
| A．Important. | B．Boring. | C．Meaningless. | D．Difficult. |
| A．Reasons behind the boy’s serious illness. |
| B．Suggestions for the boy’s family to care for him. |
| C．Advice for parents worried about picky eating. |
| D．Ways of taking in enough vitamins and minerals. |
