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Death of Chinese mukbang influencer Chen Ziyi

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2026-09-12 19:02 UTC → 2026-09-16 14:47 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Chinese mukbang influencer Chen Ziyi, known online as ‘Ganfan Yingying’, died on August 17, 2026, at the age of 24. Her death was confirmed by her family in early September. Reports suggest her death was caused by cardiac arrest resulting from severe hypokalemia, or low potassium levels. This condition is linked to her extreme eating habits, which included consuming up to 70 preserved eggs in a single livestream. To manage her physique, she reportedly engaged in frequent self-induced vomiting, a practice that can cause significant electrolyte imbalances. In a final video recorded while hospitalized, Chen admitted to a pattern of binge eating and inducing vomiting after recordings to manage her weight. Medical experts noted that while overeating is a factor, the combination of extreme consumption and repeated vomiting or laxative use can severely deplete potassium, disrupting the heart’s electrical activity and leading to fatal arrhythmias. Chen’s potassium levels had dropped to 2.3 mmol/L, significantly below the normal range of 3.5 to 5.5 mmol/L. Chen also claimed that digital commerce platforms and sponsors pressured influencers to consume excessive amounts of food to drive sales. Her death brings renewed attention to the risks of the mukbang trend. While the practice originated in South Korea, the Chinese government has implemented regulations to curb it, including the 2021 Food Waste Law and a 2022 code of conduct for streamers that prohibits compulsive eating and induced vomiting during live broadcasts. Just days before her passing, Chen posted a video explaining her hospitalization due to low potassium levels and cautioned her followers that “health must always come first.” New details indicate her potassium levels had dropped to 2.3 mmol/L, which is significantly below the normal range of 3.5 to 5.5 mmol/L.

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