A 24-year-old mukbang star has passed away just days after revealing that her extreme eating had taken a serious toll on her health.
Chen Ziyi, better known online as Ganfan Yingying, had built a huge following by eating extraordinary amounts of food on camera.
Just three days before her passing, she warned her followers about the importance of putting health before money and work.
Highlights
- Chen Ziyi’s sudden passing at 24 has left viewers questioning the hidden cost of viral mukbang content.
- The mukbang star reportedly ate dozens of eggs and a huge quantity of food in a single livestream as her following soared.
- Chen’s passing has highlighted similar cases in the Philippines, China, and Turkey involving extreme-eating creators.
One person reacted, “Being paid for it and calling it mukbang doesn't take away from the fact that basically it's an eating d**order. And very dangerous.”
Mukbanger Chen Ziyi’s parents confirmed her passing after she had revealed a serious health crisis just days earlier
Chen had amassed roughly 1.2 million followers and became known for livestreams in which she consumed enormous quantities of food while promoting grocery products.
Her content went far beyond an ordinary meal, with some broadcasts reportedly requiring her to eat for extended periods as part of the commercial entertainment format.
One particularly eye-catching example involved Chen reportedly consuming around 60 to 70 preserved or century duck eggs during a single livestream.
She had also spoken about the pressure to keep eating because larger quantities of food could make the broadcast more effective and profitable.
Ziyi’s parents announced her passing on Friday, September 4, confirming that the 24-year-old had passed away on August 17.
The news came shortly after Chen had posted a hospital video on August 14.
In the footage, she showed the needle marks on her hand and revealed that her potassium levels had fallen dangerously low.
The 24-year-old’s viral mukbang streams involved extraordinary amounts of food, including 60-70 eggs in a single session
Reports alleged that her blood potassium had dropped to around 2.3 mmol/L, well below the usual lower limit of about 3.5 mmol/L, indicating severe hypokalemia.
Ziyi reportedly said this was not her first hospitalization for the condition.
However, in the wake of her passing, her family did not publicly disclose an official medical cause.
The mukbanger also spoke about the toll her work had taken on her body, including repeatedly eating large quantities of food and inducing vomiting afterward to control her weight.
Her final warning to her viewers was simple: “Making money is important, but health should always be the top priority.”
At first glance, Ziyi’s reported hypokalemia may seem contradictory.
After all, someone eating enormous quantities of food would seemingly be consuming plenty of potassium as well.
Contrary to popular belief, consuming huge amounts of food does not protect someone from dangerously low potassium levels
But repeated vomiting can cause the body to lose potassium directly, while the accompanying loss of fluids and stomach acid can trigger kidney changes that cause even more potassium to be excreted.
Over time, these combined effects can push potassium levels dangerously low even when a person is consuming substantial amounts of food.
Severe hypokalemia can affect muscles throughout the body, causing weakness, cramping, and, in extreme cases, paralysis or problems with the muscles needed for breathing.
It can also disrupt the heart’s electrical activity, potentially leading to dangerous arrhythmias or even cardiac arrest.
Chen is not the first mukbang or extreme-eating creator whose health has raised concerns about the physical cost of viral food content.
Previously, in July 2024, Chinese mukbang creator Pan Xiaoting, also 24, reportedly passed away during a livestream after participating in prolonged eating sessions.
Reports described her consuming extremely large quantities of food and spending many hours on some broadcasts.
Ziyi’s tragic story is part of a wider pattern of extreme-eating creators who have faced serious health consequences
She had also reportedly experienced previous health problems, including a hospitalization for gastrointestinal bleeding.
Another case emerged in the Philippines in 2024, when food vlogger Dongz Apatan reportedly suffered a stroke after a food video and later passed away.
The Philippine Department of Health subsequently discussed whether mukbang content should face greater scrutiny, while also emphasizing that authorities needed to establish a direct medical connection rather than simply assume one.
Then, in 2025, Turkish mukbang creator Efecan Kultur passed away at 24 after months of serious health problems associated with obesity.
Similarly, Russian fitness influencer Dmitry Nuyanzin reportedly passed away after taking part in an extreme weight-gain challenge that involved consuming around 10,000 calories a day.
These cases highlight the risks that can emerge when extreme eating becomes entertainment, competition, or a source of income.
“I think it’s time to ban mukbang. It's okay to share eating videos but not extreme eating... It's just suffering,” one netizen wrote
