Chinese social media influencer Cuihua dies while starving to lose weight

Chinese social media influencer Cuihua has died on Saturday after trying to lose 90kg as quickly as possible at a weight loss camp.

The 21-year-old’s relatives confirmed her death on her Douyin page, the Chinese version of TikTok, according to the New York Post.

“Thank you to everyone for your support and love for Cuihua,” the family wrote, reports Sixth Tone. “Our child has gone to heaven, and we are still processing all of this.”

They went on, “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 death of the 21-year-old influencer, who posted under the name Cuihua, has prompted state media to warn over the safety risks involved in weight-loss camps and renewed concerns over the pressures women are under to conform to mainstream beauty standards.

It has also intensified scrutiny of the influencer industry, coming just weeks after a young man in the country died after live-streaming himself drinking several bottles of strong alcohol.

Cuihua had been documenting her weight-loss journey to her tens of thousands of followers on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, in a bid to encourage them in their own fights against obesity, state media outlets in the country reported.

She had recently posted several videos of herself undergoing intensive training exercises and shared that she weighed 156 kilograms (344 pounds) and was trying to lose 100 kilograms.