A MOTHER-of-two who had a fear of being sick died after years of surviving on a diet of chips and crisps, an inquest heard.

Charlotte Broad, of Alison Way, Fulflood, suffered severe malnutrition after eating “kids party food” for her entire life.

In the weeks leading up to her death the 32-year-old had become bed-bound and continued to eat very little.

An inquest into her death at Winchester Coroner’s Court was told that Miss Broad was rushed to Royal Hampshire County Hospital on January 3 last year after her partner of 10 years Mark Darley convinced her to go to get treatment.

Consultant gastroenterologist Dr Frank Murphy said: “It is very hard. You are looking at a young adult who is dying in front of you and thinking, why is this happening?"

Doctors were told that Miss Broad would throw up after eating and drinking so much so that her upper gullet turned black.

When in hospital she repeatedly refused treatment and would not even receive nutrition via an intravenous drip. At one point she did accept help but then changed her mind.

Dr Murphy told the hearing that Miss Broad was asked if she understood what would happen if she did not take the help offered and she responded: “I’m probably going to die”.

Six days before her death on January 13, Miss Broad said she did not want to be examined anymore and refused to let doctors take blood from her telling them she was “sick of being poked and prodded”.

And on January 18 she passed away as her body did not have the nutrition to fight off an infection she had contracted.

Miss Broad's brother, James, said: “She always ate strangely from a young age. She would have chicken nuggets and chips every day.”

He added: “I do believe she should have been sectioned for her mental health. I believe she wanted to die if I’m honest, I don’t know why, I just wish she had got that was offered to her.”

And her mother Kate Gibson said: “I tried to get her to eat more vegetables and I would try and hide it in her food but you can't force someone to eat.

“I don't know if she wanted to die. I know she would not have wanted to leave the girls.

“She was stubborn, she was cheeky she was caring, she was a loving mum, she was amazing.”

Miss Broad had a history of depression following a stillbirth at 33 weeks in 2007, and although she welcomed two daughters in 2008 and 2013 continued to struggle with her eating disorder.

In 2011 she was referred to Southern Health NHS Trust where she sought support on and off over a number of years.

Acting area coroner Samantha Marsh said: “Charlotte had a difficult relationship with food. Everyone is in agreement that her diet was incredibly poor, it was almost kids party food, the chicken nuggets, the chips, the coke.

“All of the health problems she was experiencing were secondary to the poor malnutrition. There were multiple attempts by mental health to engage with her.

“She declined all of those services.

“I'm satisfied that Charlotte understood that by not eating, she knew what would happen.

“She simply refused to take on adequate nutrition. I am satisfied that Charlotte was not presenting as someone that needed to be sectioned.”

Mrs Marsh did not give a conclusion of suicide saying: "I don't think she intentionally meant to take her own life, I think she was ambivalent whether that happened or not".

Giving a narrative conclusion Mrs Marsh said: "Charlotte died from malnutrition that was caused by the intentional refusal to take enough food and drink which led to multiple organ failure."

At the time of her death Miss Broad weighed just over eight stone, but consultant pathologist Dr Adnan Al-Badri said that this weight was distorted as she had “extensive swelling over her entire body”.

He gave the cause of death as multiple organ failure secondary to severe malnutrition.