A Chinese streamer known for her mukbang content died during a live broadcast on July 14 due to overeating.
Pan Xiaoting, a 24-year-old content creator from China reportedly took part in extreme eating challenges where she’d consume food for ten hours straight without any breaks.
In one challenge, Xiaoting had consumed multiple meals containing 22lbs of food. At one point, she had been hospitalized when she suffered gastric bleeding due to her eating habits.
However, she was discharged from the hospital and continued to create mukbang content the very next day, even as fans expressed concern for her.
On July 14, Xiaoting was in the middle of a broadcast when she suddenly died.
Pan Xiaoting died while in the middle of a live broadcast.
According to Hankyung, an autopsy revealed that her abdomen was “severely deformed” and her stomach was found to be full of undigested food. The cause of death was due to “overeating.”
Mukbangs consist of creators gorging on plates of food, typically of an unhealthy variety and while popular, the trend has proven to be controversial over the years, too.
Interestingly, Xiaoting’s content was illegal in China. In 2021, the country passed an anti-food waste law that would fine media platforms 100,000 Chinese yuan (around $15,000 USD) for hosting content featuring “large amounts of eating, overeating.”
The law was introduced after Chinese President Xi Jinping called food waste a “distressing” problem facing the country.
Mukbang content has caused controversy in other parts of the world, too. In 2021, PewDiePie called out YouTuber Nikocado Avocado for “blatantly promoting obesity” with his eating videos.
This isn’t the first time that weight and eating issues have resulted in the death of a Chinese influencer. In 2023, content creator Cuihua died while attempting to lose 200 pounds at a weight loss camp. The user had amassed a following on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, before her death.