Judge: Anorexic, 32, should be force fed - The Sun

The former medical student, 32, had a Body Mass Index of 11.3 when last measured — a healthy figure is about 20.

The patient, who cannot be named, is in a community hospital under a palliative care regime whose purpose is to "allow her to die in comfort".

But Mr Justice Peter Jackson ruled that it was in the "extremely severe" anorexic's best interests to be fed — "forcibly if necessary".

Mr Justice Jackson, at London's Court of Protection, added: "Albeit gravely unwell, she is not incurable. She does not seek death, but she does not want to eat or to be fed.

"She sees her life as pointless and wants to be allowed to make her own choices, realising that refusal to eat must lead to her death."

The woman, who lives in Wales, began to control her eating at 11, and was described as having an "obsessive fear of weight gain".

She has abused alcohol since adolescence and has "an entrenched history of acute difficulties", the judge heard. A woman of the UK average height of 5ft 5in with a BMI of 11.3 would weigh just 4ST 12LB.

The case came to court last month after an urgent application by her local health authority.

Mr Justice Jackson said: "Her death was imminent. She was refusing to eat and was taking only a small amount of water."

He ruled that she should be fed. Giving his conclusion, he said: "The people who know her best do not favour further treatment. I would not overrule her wishes if further treatment was futile, but it is not.

"There is a possibility that it will succeed. It would not be right to turn down the final chance of helping this vulnerable young woman."

He added: "She is a special person, whose life is of value. She does not see it that way now, but she may in future."

emma.little@the-sun.co.uk