Chinese mukbang creator Chen Ziyi, known online as Ganfan Yingying, died on August 17, 2026, at the age of 24. Her parents confirmed her death, according to Global Times and other Chinese media reports. The news came only days after Chen revealed that she had been hospitalized after her blood potassium level dropped to 2.3 mmol/L. Her family did not announce an official cause of death, although some reports raised cardiac arrest as a possible explanation.
Who was Chen Ziyi, the mukbang star known as Ganfan Yingying?
Chen became known in China for her mukbang videos, a form of online content where creators eat large amounts of food while interacting with viewers. The format became popular in South Korea before spreading around the world.Chen built a large following through her extreme eating videos. VnExpress reported that she had about 1.2 million followers across her social media accounts. Her online name, Ganfan Yingying, became closely linked to the food videos that helped her gain an audience.But her content also came with serious pressure. Chen had previously spoken about the difficulty of eating very large amounts of food for videos while trying to control her weight.That issue became especially clear in her final videos. On August 14, Chen told followers that she had been hospitalized because her potassium level had fallen to 2.3 mmol/L. The normal blood potassium range is generally around 3.5 to 5.0 mmol/L, although exact reference ranges can vary between laboratories.Chen also acknowledged that she would sometimes make herself vomit after eating large amounts of food in an effort to avoid gaining weight. Repeated vomiting can cause the body to lose potassium and can lead to hypokalemia, or dangerously low potassium levels.In the video, Chen urged her followers to take their health seriously. She said, “Although making money is important, health should always come first.” Her comments were particularly striking because they came just days before her death.
What happened to Chen Ziyi before her death?
Chen’s parents confirmed that she died on August 17, 2026, but they did not publicly give a specific medical cause. VnExpress also reported that her family had not disclosed the exact reason for her death.That distinction matters because some reports have linked her death to cardiac arrest caused by her very low potassium level. Global Times discussed that possibility, but it was not confirmed by Chen’s family as the official cause of death.Very low potassium can be dangerous because potassium plays an important role in the normal function of muscles and the heart. Severe hypokalemia can cause abnormal heart rhythms and, in serious cases, can become life-threatening. Repeated vomiting is one known way the body can lose large amounts of potassium.Chen’s death has therefore raised fresh questions about the health risks faced by creators who make extreme eating content. Her final warning also showed that she was aware of the toll the work could take on her body.Chen was not the only mukbang creator to face serious health problems connected to extreme eating. Chinese creator Pan Xiaoting died in 2024 after reportedly developing health problems following extreme eating livestreams. Her death also led to wider discussion about the risks of turning excessive food consumption into online entertainment.For Chen’s followers, however, the most important part of her final message was simple: the money and attention from online content should not come before a person’s health.