Chinese short-video platforms removed the account of vlogger Ganfan Yingying on the evening of 7/9. This action followed a Jimu News report three days earlier, citing her family's obituary, which confirmed Chen Ziyi (Yingying's real name) died on 17/8. Her parents chose not to disclose the direct cause of death.

However, Chen's final social media post on 14/8 revealed a hand marked with needle punctures and lab results showing her blood potassium levels at a critical 2,3-2,5 mmol/L, well below the healthy minimum of 3,5 mmol/L. She confessed to exhaustion from sleepless nights filming videos and frequent forced vomiting to expel vast quantities of food, Sina reported.

Yingying during her mukbang sessions. *Screenshot: NTDTV*

"Earning money is truly not easy", she lamented. "When I livestreamed selling century eggs, I ate 60-70 eggs in a single session. Selling other products also demanded consuming large quantities". The vlogger revealed that despite its glamorous appearance, food content creation involved sleepless nights and continuous eating, leading to early health warnings from her body.

She urged her fans: "Earning money is important, but health must always come first. Although the road ahead is difficult, I want to steadfastly continue on the path I have chosen". Three days after this video update, she died.

Doctor Liu Hongdie, from the Department of Endocrinology at Chengdu No. 5 People's Hospital, warned that self-induced vomiting expels food and digestive fluids before nutrient absorption. The stomach and intestines contain significant potassium. This practice causes the body to lose the mineral much faster than normal food intake can replenish it. When blood potassium levels plummet, the heart risks ventricular fibrillation or sudden cardiac arrest.

Doctor Shen Jun, Head of the Emergency Surgery Department at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, detailed two dangerous mechanisms from prolonged vomiting. First, expelling large amounts of stomach acid makes the blood alkaline. This forces potassium from the blood into cells and prompts the kidneys to excrete more potassium. Second, severe dehydration causes kidneys to retain salt for blood pressure, paradoxically expelling remaining potassium. These combined reactions dangerously deplete blood potassium.

Chen's death highlights the perilous trend of "stomach abuse" for financial gain on Chinese social media. In July, Pan Xiaoting, 24, collapsed and died during a live eating broadcast. In March 2022, vlogger Wenwei Ge, 32, died from multiple organ failure after prolonged consumption of greasy foods, despite receiving hemodialysis for end-stage chronic kidney failure. A year earlier, content creator Paopaolong, 29, also died suddenly from complications related to his excessive eating habits.

Health experts warn that diets high in salt and fat, combined with chronic sleeplessness, severely damage cardiovascular and metabolic systems. Individuals with bulimia nervosa must immediately seek specialized medical and psychological treatment, rather than relying on at-home dietary remedies.

Binh Minh (According to Sina, 163, Jimu News)