A 33-year-old UK truck driver needed emergency treatment after consuming a large quantity of gummies in a relatively short period of time.

Nathan Rimington, a truck driver from Yorkshire, reportedly ordered a 3kg (6.6 pounds) container of Haribo Cola Jelly from Amazon after getting a craving for gummy candies. He proceeded to consume the 10,461kcal-worth of gummies in just three days, and started experiencing serious physical symptoms shortly after. He was taken to the emergency room with severe abdominal pain, sweating, high blood pressure, and cold sweat. Initially, the medical staff suspected that the man was suffering from food poisoning, but further tests revealed unusually high levels of gelatin in his digestive tract. After performing several tests, Rimington was diagnosed with acute diverticulitis.

Photo: Amit Lahav

Diverticulitis is a condition in which small protrusions, called diverticula, form in the colon wall, causing infection or inflammation. Medical experts explain that consuming large amounts of certain ingredients, such as gelatin, can increase the risk of bowel movement and intestinal obstruction. Systemic symptoms such as fever, chills, indigestion, and vomiting may also occur.

According to medical experts, the most common symptom of diverticulitis is persistent, severe abdominal pain in the lower left abdomen. This pain is distinctly different from typical indigestion or constipation, typically lasts for more than a day and gradually worsens. Some patients may experience bloody or mucus-filled stools, and if symptoms become severe, there is a risk of colon perforation, which may progress to peritonitis.

In Mr. Rimington’s case, doctors immediately stopped all oral intake and started intravenous fluid therapy. was hospitalized for six days in intensive care with a high fever and severe abdominal pain. Luckily, he made a full recovery, but will probably not indulge in a gummy for a very long time.