RUSSIAN FITNESS COACH GAINS 25KG IN JUNK FOOD MARATHON TO SELL WEIGHT LOSS COURSES, DIES AT 30

Online influencer gorges on cakes, pizzas, pastries, dumplings and chips before dying in his sleep, sparking warnings about extreme eating

A Russian fitness coach who died from a binge-eating challenge while promoting his weight loss courses has raised concerns about extreme stunts.

The 30-year-old influencer on Russian social media, Dmitry Nuyanzin, died in his sleep in Orenburg in November.

Nuyanzin reportedly binged on junk food to gain at least 25kg before showing how fast he could lose the same amount of weight.

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He did so in an attempt to promote his weight loss courses.

Nuyanzin told his thousands of followers that he was carrying out the marathon plan to consume 10,000 calories a day - five times the acceptable average for most adults - to increase his weight.

The food he ate each day included a plate of pastries, half a cake, 800 grams of dumplings with mayonnaise, two pizzas and chips as snacks.

Nuyanzin documented his extreme challenge daily on his account.

He reportedly gained 13kg in just a month and reached 105kg by November 18.

He also offered a 10,000 rouble (US$130) prize to people who could lose 10 per cent of their body weight by the new year.

A day before Nuyanzin's death, he cancelled his training sessions and told his friends that he felt unwell and needed to see a doctor.

Then he died from heart failure in his sleep.

Nuyanzin's tragedy has raised concerns online over the hazard of extreme diet challenges.

It is believed that high-calorie diets can lead to obesity and increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease and strokes.

Also, studies have found that rapid weight loss increases the risk of death.

Losing weight too fast might also trigger fatigue, headaches, malnutrition and mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

It is recommended to gain or lose weight with a balanced diet and exercise.

In an opposite recent case, a 25-year-old Chinese influencer was diagnosed with severe pancreas inflammation after she ate only poached chicken breast, broccoli and potatoes for half a year to attract online traffic.

"Do not play around like that because you never know how much your body can actually handle," said one online observer.

"Likes and views are not worth this. Food and diet bloggers need to see this," said another.

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

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2025-12-05T06:18:37Z