People.com Lifestyle Health U.K. Teen with Severe Eating Disorder Dies 2 Months After Court Allows Her to Cease Treatment "This case is quite unlike any that I have come across," said the Court of Protection Justice who allowed the teenager to make her own treatment decisions By Glenn Garner Glenn Garner Instagram Twitter Glenn Garner is a Weekends Writer/Reporter who works heavily with PEOPLE's Movies and TV verticals. Since graduating from Northern Arizona University with a dual major in journalism and photography he got his professional start at OUT Magazine The Advocate and Teen Vogue and he's since consistently kept his finger on the pulse of the LGBTQ community. His first book The Guncle Guide was released in 2020 and was featured on Katie Couric's list of 100 recommended books of the year." People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 30, 2022 02:44 PM Share Tweet Pin Email A 19-year-old woman with a severe eating disorder has died two months after a judge ordered that she could be taken off a life-saving treatment. Sir Jonathan Cohen, a Justice for the U.K.'s Court of Protection, announced the "tragic and deeply distressing" death on Friday after the teenager, identified only as BG, fought for autonomy of her body and the right to make her own health decisions, according to Sky News. Lawyers for a mental health trust representing the teen previously requested orders "permitting the ceasing of artificial nutrition and hydration" in the Court of Protection, which considers issues regarding people who might not have the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves. Eating Disorders Surge in Boys and Young Men: What Parents Need to Know Getty The teen, her parents and a psychiatrist were all in support of the application, as she suffered from mental health issues for more than a decade and was "almost continually" in a hospital for three years, Sky News reported. Sir Jonathan noted that experts agreed "nothing more" could be done to help the young woman before she was taken off treatment in May, per the outlet. "This case is quite unlike any that I have come across," he said in the ruling. "The distinction lies above all in the fact of the agreement between experts that there is nothing more that can be done to help BG. "The law contains the strong presumption that all steps will be taken to preserve human life unless the circumstances are exceptional. However, the principle is not absolute," Sir Jonathan added. The ruling has proved significant in the debate about an individual's rights to make their own life and death decisions.