Mukbang star, 24, dies just days after revealing dangerously low potassium levels linked to extreme eating

A Chinese mukbang star died just days after telling followers that extreme eating videos had led to her developing low potassium.

Earlier this month, the parents of Chen Ziyi, known online to her followers as 'Ganfan Yingying', confirmed to Global Times that their daughter had passed away on 17 August.

Chen had gone viral on Chinese social media for her mukbang videos, boasting of more than one million followers on her accounts. Originating in South Korea, mukbangs are a popular type of video on streaming websites where a person eats large amounts of food while interacting with an audience.

Her parents have not confirmed a cause of death for their daughter, however it's believed the 24-year-old died from a cardiac arrest due to dangerously low potassium levels.

Mukbang influencer told followers 'health should always come first' in final video

Chen's death came just days after she posted her final video, telling followers that she had been hospitalised due to low potassium levels.

In the video, Chen explained that her blood potassium levels had dropped to as low as 2.3 mmol/L.

Chen Ziyi, known online to her followers as 'Ganfan Yingying', shared mukbang videos (Ganfan Yingying)

The normal range for blood potassium is between 3.5 and 5.5 mmol/L.

How is extreme eating linked to low potassium levels?

Although eating extreme quantities of food itself is not linked to a drop in the body's potassium levels, habits such as inducing vomiting and using laxatives can cause a decrease in blood potassium.

Chai Qichen, a doctor from the Department of General Practice at Zhejiang Hospital, added to the outlet that mukbang influencers will often use laxatives or make themselves sick after consuming large amounts of food in order to avoid gaining weight.

According to Medscape, low potassium levels - known medically as Hypokalemia - is linked to gastrointestinal issues such as vomiting and diarrhoea due to a drop in stomach acid triggering a process which causes the body to flush out potassium via urine.

As the mineral is essential for maintaining bodily functions, chronically or critically low potassium levels can lead to muscle weakness, muscle cramps and an abnormal heart rhythm.

In severe cases, low potassium can trigger cardiac arrest.

The 24-year-old has previously spoken about the pressure to eat excessive amounts of food in videos (Ganfan Yingying via Kuaishou)

Chen acknowledged in her video that her health issues were likely related to extreme eating content, telling followers that 'although making money is important, health should always come first'.

She went on to explain that the pressure of eating vast quantities of food on camera was physically exhausting for mukbang influencers, adding that eating creators often felt forced to consume more food in order to boost their popularity.

Chen isn't the only mukbang creator to pass away from health complications in recent years either.

In 2024, Chinese mukbanger Pan Xiaoting passed away while filming a livestream. The content creator had previously been hospitalised with gastric bleeding due to her extreme eating habits. Meanwhile, Turkish mukbanger Efecan Kultur died from obesity-related health complications in 2025, while Russian fitness coach Dmitry Nuyanzin also passed away that year after eating 10,000 calories a day in order to promote his fitness programme.