Chinese influencer Chen Ziyi dies at 24 after extreme mukbang videos

Chinese content creator Chen Ziyi, known online as Ganfan Yingying, has died at the age of 24. Her death, which occurred on August 17, was confirmed by her parents following her popularity as a ‘mukbang’ influencer with over 1.2 million followers.

Chen was known for extreme eating challenges, including a viral video where she consumed between 60 and 70 duck eggs in a single sitting. Shortly before her death, she informed her followers that she had been hospitalized due to hypokalemia, a condition characterized by dangerously low potassium levels. Reports indicated her potassium levels had dropped to 2.3 mmol/L, significantly below the normal range of 3.5 to 5.5.

Medical experts noted that while excessive eating alone may not cause such severe mineral depletion, the practice is often accompanied by dangerous compensatory behaviors, such as inducing vomiting or using laxatives to maintain body weight. In her final social media posts, Chen warned her audience that while financial gain is important, health must always come first.