Chinese mukbang influencer, 24, dies after repeatedly inducing vomiting after binge eating

A 24-year-old Chinese mukbang influencer has died following cardiac arrest reportedly linked to low potassium levels.

Ganfan Yingying, whose real name was Chen Ziyi, reportedly died on Aug. 17.

According to Global Times, Chen's parents announced the news on Sep. 4.

Chen, who had more than 1 million followers, had last posted on Aug. 14, telling viewers that overeating had caused her potassium levels to drop and landed her in the hospital.

Low potassium levels

According to Chen, her blood potassium level had fallen as low as 2.3 due to her mukbang activities as well as her long-term habit of inducing vomiting, Global Times reported.

She reminded viewers that although earning money is important, prioritising one’s health should always come first.

This was not the first time she had been hospitalised for the same reason.

Chen reportedly said that doing livestream sales while eating can be physically demanding, noting that she once had to eat 60 to 70 preserved eggs.

She said mukbangers often face pressure to eat more to boost sales, even when their health cannot withstand the strain.

Inducing vomiting and using laxatives

Chai Qichen, a doctor from the Department of General Practice at Zhejiang Hospital, told the Global Times that binge eating itself does not directly cause severe potassium loss.

Rather, the main risks involve inducing vomiting and using laxatives.

Some mukbangers eat large amounts on camera, then vomit or take laxatives off camera to maintain their figures.

Because gastric and intestinal fluids contain much higher potassium levels than blood, repeated vomiting or diarrhoea can cause significant potassium loss and progressively lower blood potassium levels, Chai said.