Chinese mukbang influencer, 24, dies after repeatedly inducing vomiting after binge eating
She had talked about facing pressure to eat more to boost sales.
A 24-year-old Chinese mukbang influencer named Chen Ziyi, also known as Ganfan Yingying, passed away on August 17 following cardiac arrest, reportedly due to low potassium levels. Chen's parents announced her passing on September 4. The influencer had over one million followers and last posted on August 14, stating that her overeating had led to a drop in her potassium levels, causing her to be hospitalized.
Chen explained that her blood potassium level had plummeted to as low as 2.3 due to her mukbang activities and her habit of inducing vomiting. She reminded her viewers that while financial success is important, maintaining one's health should always be the top priority. This was not the first time Chen had been hospitalized for the same reason.
According to Dr. Chai Qichen, a general practitioner at Zhejiang Hospital, binge eating alone does not directly cause severe potassium loss. The primary risks stem from inducing vomiting and using laxatives. Some mukbangers consume large quantities on camera, then purge or take laxatives off-camera to maintain their physique. Since gastric and intestinal fluids contain significantly higher potassium levels than blood, repeated vomiting or diarrhea can lead to substantial potassium loss, gradually decreasing blood potassium levels.
Written by urgent.news from Mothership's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
