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'Detox diet' woman awarded £810,000
23.07.08A woman was awarded more than £800,000 after she suffered permanent brain damage while on a detox diet.
Dawn Page, 52, claims she was told to drink more water and reduce her salt intake during The Amazing Hydration Diet.
The High Court was told she suffered uncontrollable vomiting after starting the diet, but nutritionist Barbara Nash assured her it was part of the detoxification process. Mrs Nash's insurance company agreed to pay out £810,000 although she denied any wrongdoing.
In October 2001 when she was less than a week into the regime, she suffered an epileptic fit and was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital in Swindon. Doctors were unable to prevent her suffering permanent brain damage and her memory, speech and concentration have been affected.
Her husband Geoff Page, 54, of Faringdon, Oxfordshire, told reporters: "Her life has been seriously affected, perhaps ruined, by this fad-type way of losing weight, which I can only say is a dangerous method of weight loss."
He said: "Just days after she started the Hydration Diet, she began to feel unwell and started vomiting. Things went from bad to worse, and within another couple of days she collapsed with the fit."
Plexus Law, which represented Mrs Nash, said: "On behalf of our client we wish to make it clear that all allegations of substandard practice made on behalf of Mrs Page in the litigation, have always been and continue to remain firmly denied.
"Equally the information contained in the medical records suggesting that Mrs Page appeared to have drunk five litres of water on the day that she was admitted to hospital, and therefore disregarded advice given by our client, were also denied by Mrs Page.
"In our view as a recognition of this, the settlement amount agreed to be paid was less than half the total amount claimed and the compromise which was offered and accepted was on the basis of no admission of liability.
"As far as we are concerned the case has now been concluded."
