What happened to Cuihua? Parents address 21-year-old influencer’s death

A young 21-year-old influencer, Cuihua, passed away on Saturday, June 10, 2023, while she was at a Chinese weight loss camp. During her attempt to shed 200 pounds, the news broke about her death and left netizens devastated. Soon after her demise, her parents confirmed the news through her page on Douyin, which is a Chinese short video-sharing platform like TikTok.

What happened to Cuihua? Parents address 21-year-old influencer's death

While the cause of her death has not been revealed yet, her parents did claim that Cuihua was hospitalized after she felt unwell while exercising in the camp. The parents also thanked Cuihua’s followers as they addressed her demise online.

“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,” they said, as per the New York Post.

21-year-old Chinese influencer passes away after being at a weight loss camp. (Image via Douyin)
21-year-old Chinese influencer passes away after being at a weight loss camp. (Image via Douyin)

Cuihua was hospitalized after she felt unwell while exercising at a weight loss camp in Shaanxi

As the young Chinese influencer passed away, Insider reported that she lost close to 57 pounds in just two months. It is also being reported that she was admitted to a weight loss camp in Shaanxi, where she aimed to shed close to 200 pounds.

To achieve her goal, Cuihua adhered to a rigorous routine consisting of strict dietary measures and intense workout sessions designed to manage her body weight effectively. As part of her daily schedule, she dedicated her evenings to live-streaming her training sessions.

Through her active presence on Douyin, the Chinese counterpart of TikTok, she shared glimpses of her weightlifting and calisthenics exercises. As per Shanghai Morning News, this came after she recently announced that she lost 57 pounds and aimed to shed 23 more pounds within the next month.

Furthermore, the Shangai publication also pointed out that Cuihua often recorded herself eating her meals, where she could be seen eating “very less food.” Her diet mostly consisted of coarse grains, cabbages, eggs, and fruits to manage and balance her calorie intake. However, none of her videos are currently available for viewing, as her account has been set to private after her demise.

Several Chinese publications also emphasized the fact that there has been a sudden spike in the number of weight loss camps after several reports claimed that obesity is rising in China. A 2020 report on the Status of Nutrition and Chronic Diseases in China claimed that more than 50% of Chinese adults were overweight.

21-Year-Old Influencer Dies Two Days After Entering Diet Camp - Koreaboo

Speaking about the youngster’s death, many took to a microblogging website, Weibo, where they called the training camp “messy” and accused the institution of indulging in malpractices that were harmful to those who had enrolled.

Netizens currently await more information about the influencer’s exact cause of death.