Influencer Dies at Fitness Camp After Trying To Lose 90KG As Quickly as Possible

Maria RodriguezJune 15, 2023

2 2 minutes read

Influencer Dies at Fitness Camp After Trying To Lose 90KG As Quickly as Possible

In China, an influencer has tragically passed away after attempting to lose an extreme amount of weight within a relatively short timespan.

The 21-year-old overweight influencer known as Cuihua had been part of a rigorous fitness camp where she was rapidly inching towards her goal of losing 90 kilograms (200 pounds) in total.

At the camp, her daily regimen included high-intensity workouts and strict diets that aimed to promote rapid weight loss, and these things were shown to her followers during her evening livestreams as well as regular updates on the social media platform Douyin.

Showing rapid progress.

In her videos, Cuihua was not shy about showing herself in tough scenarios, often struggling to keep up with assigned calisthenics or weight resistance workouts, for example.

IMAGE: Weibo

Despite her low fitness levels, the popular internet personality with over 10,000 followers nevertheless continued to display a commendable amount of grit and determination, choosing to try and complete the exercises instead of giving up.

At one point, Cuihua had revealed that she’d successfully shed 26 kilograms (57 pounds) in two months, and then continued to lose another 10 kilograms (23 pounds) over the next six months. According to the determined influencer, the end goal was to take off a total of 90 kilograms (200 pounds).

A social media image illustrating Cuihua’s dramatic weight loss. IMAGE: Weibo

But on June 13, 2023, it was discovered that her uploaded videos had been set to private, and news outlets then observed that her family had posted a video onto her account announcing her sudden passing.

“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,” the family said in Chinese.

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

Why overdo it?

Following the revelation of Cuihua’s death, countless Chinese netizens came forward to debate the wisdom of pursuing such an intense fitness regimen, with hindsight now proving that it was eventually too dangerous for a person of Cuihua’s fitness level.

According to reports, Cuihua’s fitness camp was only one of numerous similar ongoing programs available in China, where period-based weight-loss regimens have grown increasingly popular over the years.

Other local news outlets even documented the occurrence of several injuries at other camps around the country, with some trainees even having been diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis — a condition caused by physical overexertion that sees muscles break down and release toxins into the body.

That said, while it may already be too late for Cuihua, those looking to adopt a weight-loss should be careful not to overdo their training and only push their bodies as far as they’re comfortable with (or within the limits set by physicians).

Experts have regularly spoken about the dangers of losing weight too quickly, either from working out excessively or by depriving themselves of food, which could both lead to unwanted outcomes including muscle loss, malnutrition, severe injuries, and a ton of other side effects.