Thousands of young women desperate for a “size zero” figure are putting their lives at risk by taking laxatives in the mistaken belief that it speeds up weight loss.

Mintel, the consumer goods analyst, has found that the British market for laxatives is now worth £52 million, up 33 per cent from 2001. The company is in no doubt that desperate slimmers are behind the surge.

“On the flipside of over-eating in Britain, we have seen a pre-occupation with undereating and perpetual dieting,” said David Bird, senior market analyst at Mintel.

Experts on eating disorders say laxative abuse is now rife, with young people in particular totally unaware of the huge danger it poses to their health.

Typically women take “lifestyle laxatives” after bingeing on high-energy, sugar-rich food, hoping that this strategy will prevent the calories from being absorbed.

A smaller group of people suffering from bulimia nervosa use laxatives, as well as making themselves sick, to “purge” their systems after a binge.

Steve Bloomfield, a spokesman for the Eating Disorders Association, said that because laxatives are widely available at chemists and supermarkets, young women in particular think they are totally harmless.

“Most people binge on sugary foods which are absorbed very quickly, so taking laxatives doesn’t actually work if the intention is to lose weight. But they rob the body of vital vitamins and minerals, and, most significantly, potassium, which can result in heart failure.”

Research commissioned by the Eating Disorders Association found that one in five women took laxatives to lose weight, with the figures far higher (11 per cent) among female students.

The association said that cases it had studied showed a clear pattern of young women who started out just taking one or two laxatives a day but ended up taking dozens as their digestive system adjusted. In extreme cases it ceased to function without the aid of large doses of pills.

Mr Bloomfield said that with laxatives cheap and now advertised on prime-time television, girls are learning about them from an earlier age.

“A few years ago young people didn’t really know about laxatives or where to get them. Now they are in no doubt.”

Celia Badley, 42, now an anorexia counsellor, took 20 to 30 laxatives a day in her teens. “When I took them, they made me feel I was losing weight because my tummy was flat, but I didn’t lose any weight longer-term.

“The side effects were shocking — terrible stomach pain and the inevitable rushing to the loo at inappropriate moments. They were easy to get, even years ago. I would just go from chemist to chemist until I had enough. I now have a very sluggish digestive system and need to eat huge amounts of fibre to avoid constipation.

“The key thing to stop people using laxatives is not really to campaign on the dangers, even though they are dangerous. The only thing that would have stopped me taking them at the time was if I had known they did not make me lose weight.”

However, the risks of taking large numbers of laxatives are serious. Melissa Booth died of heart failure, aged just 17, as a result of her use of laxatives and diuretics. Speaking to The Times yesterday, Melissa’s father Gary recalled how she promised not to take any more laxatives after having undergone hospital treatment for her bulimia.

“The Saturday after she came home she begged us not to send her back and promised she wouldn’t take them any more,” he said.

However, she had a heart attack during the night and was found dead the next morning.

“She didn’t die of bulimia. She died because of a lack of potassium in her system, which triggered a heart attack.

“Nothing has changed since then,” said Mr Booth. “In fact I think these tablets are even easier to get now.”

Extreme abuse

Anorexia The disorder is diagnosed in 5 teenage girls in every 100,000, though experts believe it is far more common with up to 5 per cent of teenagers affected. Sufferers starve themselves but still believe they are overweight

Bulimia affects up to 2 per cent of women aged between 15 and 40. Sufferers typically binge on sugary or fatty food and then make themselves sick

Laxative abuse Sufferers take dozens of pills after bringeing in the hope the calories are not absorbed. It robs the body of potassium and vital minerals and can result in heart attacks

Diet pills suppress the appetite by increasing serotonin and other chemicals in the body

Clenbuterol A potentially life-threatening steroid-like substance that burns fat by raising body temperature and heart rate. Legal only for use in horses and as a treatment for asthma

Source: Department of Health

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