24-year-old Mukbang blogger dies after final video

A blogger who created content in the mukbang genre Chen Szi died at the age of 24. She was known to her 1.2 million subscribers as Ganfan Yingying . The blogger passed away three days after filming her final video in the hospital, where she emphasized that "health comes first."

Chen had previously spoken openly about health issues related to consuming large amounts of food and then making herself sick. In her last video posted from the hospital on August 14, she stated that her blood potassium levels had dropped to a dangerous level .

The blogger died on August 17. Her parents announced her death through an online notice on September 4. However, the official medical report has not yet disclosed the exact cause of death.

Chen said her blood potassium level had dropped to 2.3 mmol/L . Usually, this indicator is in the range of 3.5–5.5 mmol/L. Upon arriving at the hospital, her potassium level was 2.5 mmol/L and rose to 3.3 mmol/L after treatment.

The blogger acknowledged her health problems

Mukbang is a type of online broadcast where a blogger interacts with the audience while consuming large amounts of food. Chen linked her health problems directly to her mukbang activities and said she had been hospitalized before due to this condition.

In her final video, she stated that her potassium levels dropped following the consumption of large quantities of food. She also noted that while this activity might look attractive from the outside, the reality of creating such content involves eating throughout the night.

The blogger reminded her subscribers that while money is important, health should always come first and urged them to take care of their bodies.

Chen, who lived in Liaocheng, Shandong Province, had gathered a large audience on China's Kuaishou video platform. She posted 169 videos there. According to reports, the blogger once consumed 60–70 canned eggs during a single promotional broadcast.

Chen also spoke about the increasing pressure on content creators to consume ever-larger amounts of food to achieve higher views and audience metrics.

A person familiar with the situation claimed that the blogger suffered cardiac arrest due to prolonged low potassium levels. However, this information has not been officially confirmed.

Experts state that overeating alone does not usually lead to a drop in potassium levels. However, repeatedly forcing oneself to vomit or using laxatives can cause severe hypokalemia and dangerous heart rhythm disturbances.

Chai Sichen, a general practitioner at Zhejiang Hospital, noted that some mukbang content creators attempt to purge the food they consumed after filming.

“Ended too soon”

Chen Szi's death was a heavy loss for her parents.

“Her life ended too soon in the prime of her youth. May there be no more suffering in heaven. Rest in peace. Your mother and father will always miss you,” wrote the deceased's parents.

The blogger's Kuaishou page was later deleted.

Chen Szi's death has once again fueled concerns about the serious health risks behind extreme content based on consuming large amounts of food.