Tan is a 68-year-old man who develops unusual growths on several areas of his body which is a result of a rare disease that stemmed from excessive alcohol consumption.
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Alcohol abuse very harmful to health
Contrary to what one might think at first glance, Tan's growths are not due to some freakish malformation during gestation but are in fact the result of an extremely rare disease. Tan, 68 years old, suffers from Madelung's disease, also known as Symmetrical Lipomatosis as defined by the website Rarediseases.org :
Madelung's disease is a rare disorder of fat metabolism (lipid storage) that results in an unusual accumulation of subcutaneous fat (adipose tissue) deposits around the neck, shoulders, trunk, hips, upper arms and thighs. The fat masses can progress quickly over months or slowly over years.
The disease has totally altered Tan's body, which now has prominent shoulders and neck. Fatty deposits continue to grow on these areas of Tan's body.
A disease that strikes more men
Madelung's disease usually affects middle-aged men who drink excessively. Tan has been a regular user of rice wine since he was 13 years old. Since then, he has been drinking a litre of this alcohol every day, which he now consumes "like water" and which has completely changed his body.
This might change the way you consume alcohol for the rest of your life! According to the website Healthinfo.com the abuse of alcohol is dangerous for one's health, even when it is consumed in a small dose:
Even without being a very big consumer or alcohol-dependent, the consumption of alcohol has an influence on the development of numerous pathologies: cancers, cardiovascular and digestive diseases, diseases of the nervous system and psychic disorders.
