21-year-old Influencer Dies at Weight Loss Camp After Trying to Rapidly Shed 200lbs
A 21-year-old Chinese influencer has died after an intensive weight loss camp where she tried to shed 200lbs. The influencer,
Ivy Griffith
A 21-year-old Chinese influencer has died after an intensive weight loss camp where she tried to shed 200lbs.
The influencer, who goes by Cuihua (which roughly translates to “jade blossom”), died Saturday after she attended a closed fitness camp model where every minute was focused on dropping weight quickly.
The camp, which is situated in the Shaanxi province in China, required participants to engage in high-intensity workouts and kept them on a very strict diet to help speed weight loss along.
In the evenings, the influencer trained on live streams and engaged with fans.
Business Insider reports, “Cuihua claimed to her audience that she initially lost 57 pounds in two months, and continued to shed another 23 pounds over the next six months, according to the outlet. Her goal was to lose a total of 200 pounds, per her social media accounts.
A 21-year-old influencer has died after attempting to shed 90kg as fast as possible at a Chinese weight loss camp.https://t.co/n6GzCkLLkE
— news.com.au (@newscomauHQ) June 14, 2023
Cuihua’s training videos on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, would show her performing calisthenics or lifting weights, often displaying moments when she struggled to keep up with the workout but persevered.
However, these videos were set to private when checked by Insider on Tuesday morning, Beijing time.”
At the time of her passing, Cuihua had around 10,000 followers on Douyin.
On Monday, the influencer’s family took to social media with a video.
The family said in Chinese, “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 family also noted, “It didn’t happen at the [training camp], please don’t cyber bully any more training camps, it’s over, we don’t want to be sad.”
Weight loss camps have increased in popularity in China over the past few years.
They bill themselves as “get thin quick” options and suggest they’re health solutions in an increasingly health-minded society.
But with the rise in popularity has come a rise in controversy and concern.
In March, Jiemian News reported that several people who attended these weight loss camps across the country were injured as part of their training.
Others were diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis.
The CDC says of the condition: “Rhabdomyolysis (often called rhabdo) is a serious medical condition that can be fatal or result in permanent disability. Rhabdo occurs when damaged muscle tissue releases its proteins and electrolytes into the blood. These substances can damage the heart and kidneys and cause permanent disability or even death. In the workplace, causes of rhabdo include heat exposure, physical exertion or overuse, and direct trauma (e.g., crush injury from a fall). Anyone can get rhabdo, but workers in many different occupations have a higher chance of developing rhabdo.”
That means that people who participate in these physically intensive camps can be causing that kind of damage to their bodies.
Without proper oversight and attention to health concerns, the weight loss camps remain a controversial topic.
Tributes to Cuihua have poured in from peers in the wake of her sudden passing.