Chinese national mukbanger, 24, dies of cardiac arrest after repeated binge eating and self-induced vomiting

Summary

• Chinese mukbang (extreme eating) influencer Chen Ziyi, known online as Yingying, died at age 24 on Aug 17 after repeated health problems.

• She had more than one million followers and said her potassium level had fallen to 2.3 mmol/L.

• Doctors warned that repeated self-induced vomiting and laxative use can cause severe potassium loss and dangerous heart problems.

CHINA: Chinese mukbang influencer Chen Ziyi, known online as Ganfan Yingying, died at 24 after repeated health problems linked to extreme eating content, also known as mukbang in the Korean language.

Her parents announced her death on Sep 4, saying she had died on Aug 17. Yingying had more than one million followers and had built her audience by eating large amounts of food during livestreams.

Her final video, posted on Aug 14, showed her speaking from a hospital bed. She said her potassium level had fallen to 2.3 mmol/L after repeated overeating and vomiting, Global Times reported (Sep 8).

Her work pressure from product sponsors pushed her eating performance to painful limits

Yingying said she had been hospitalised before for the same problem. She also described the pressure from product sponsors that eating-stream creators face to consume more food to drive sales.

During one livestream, she said she had eaten 60 to 70 preserved eggs. She also admitted to regularly making herself vomit after eating. Yingying said earning money mattered, but her health had suffered from the work.

Her death was reportedly linked to cardiac arrest caused by low potassium. However, her family hasn't publicly confirmed an official medical cause.

Doctor: Low potassium can dangerously affect the heart

Dr Chai Qichen from Zhejiang Hospital explained that overeating alone doesn't usually cause severe potassium loss.

Repeated vomiting and laxative use can cause the body to lose large amounts of potassium through stomach and intestinal fluids.

When potassium levels fall too low, the heart's normal electrical activity can be disrupted. Severe cases can lead to dangerous heart rhythms or a heart attack (cardiac arrest).

Yingying’s case has renewed attention on extreme eating videos, in which larger portions can attract more viewers, sales, and advertising income.

Extreme eating has taken a heavy toll on other content creators

Yingying’s experience is part of a bigger problem involving extreme eating livestreams. Some creators have reportedly eaten extraordinary amounts in short periods to keep viewers watching.

One was said to have consumed 20 to 25 kilograms of food within two hours, including more than 20 dishes, such as crayfish and salmon.

Another influencer reportedly ate 120 potstickers and 16 packets of instant noodles during one livestream. His weight later reached about 190 kilograms, bringing serious health problems linked to obesity.

There are also cases where creators pretended to consume food or alcohol, then made exaggerated claims about what they had eaten. Such acts can give viewers a false idea of what extreme eating really involves.

The money behind the videos adds another layer. Bigger eating displays can bring more views, which can lead to advertising deals and livestream sales.

Such financial links have pushed some creators to keep going despite serious health risks. Several deaths have already been linked to extreme livestreaming.

Eating influencer Paopaolong, 29, died from heart failure after his weight reached 160 kilograms.

Another creator, Wenweige, continued making high-intensity eating videos despite having end-stage kidney disease and needing regular dialysis

Alcohol livestreamer Sanqiange also died after reportedly consuming four bottles of baijiu during a livestream competition.

These cases show how an online persona can become costly when extreme consumption becomes part of the job. What looks like entertainment for viewers can involve serious physical harm off camera.

Mukbang cheating: Extreme eating content fraud exposed

Careful analysis revealed that some mukbang creators also spit out the food after appearing to eat it on camera. Those parts are then edited out, making the meal look as if it were fully consumed.

The practice allows creators to avoid eating large amounts of unhealthy food while still giving viewers the impression that they did, solely to attract views, advertising income, and sponsorships.

In the end, audiences may be watching a performance rather than a genuine eating challenge.

China bans extreme eating contents

China's 2021 Anti-Food Waste Law prohibits content that promotes excessive food consumption. A 2022 code for online streamers also bans staged eating, binge eating, and forced vomiting.

The rules exist, but Yingying's death shows how difficult it can be to separate online entertainment from the physical cost behind it.

Extreme eating may look like a safe performance on screen. But behind the camera, the body still pays the ultimate price.