21-year-old influencer dies at Chinese weight loss camp trying to lose 90 kg

The fitness influencer's death sent ripples across Chinese social media. (Representational image)

A 21-year-old influencer, Cuihua, died on Saturday after attempting to drop 90 kg as fast as possible while at a weight loss camp in China. Confirming the death, her family wrote on her Douyin page, the Chinese version of TikTok, “Thank you to everyone for your support and love for Cuihua. Our child has gone to heaven, and we are still processing all of this.”

“We hope that people won’t be misguided by malicious individuals for their entertainment, which could harm parents and family. Let our child rest in peace, thank you!” the New York Post reported the family as saying.

Although the cause of death is unclear, the fitness influencer had rushed to the hospital as she felt uneasy after exercising, her parents said.

Cuihua was on a mission to lose 90kg. She had joined one of China’s weight loss camps, which gained international attention years ago amid the country’s skyrocketing obesity rates. There, Cuihua managed to lose 36kg in eight months and dropped 26 kg in the first two months, and then the 10kg was shed over the next six months, New York Post reported.

The 21-year-old, who had close to 10,000 followers, would livestream her workouts in the morning and evening which included reportedly included high-intensity cardio and strength training workouts such as battle ropes and weightlifting. In the videos that she had uploaded on social media, Cuihua appeared to be struggling through the workouts.

She also followed a strict diet of "coarse grains, cabbage, eggs, and fruit".

The fitness influencer's death sent ripples across Chinese social media with many accusing the weight loss camp of pushing her too far too fast without any scientific research to support their methods.

“You should take it slowly to keep your heart rate within the aerobic safety range,” a user was quoted as saying by the New York Post. “It can’t be high-intensity all at once, the heart and knees can’t stand it, and it is easy to die suddenly.”

“These coaches really don’t have any comprehensive knowledge, and they think they are all sports school trainees," added another.

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