A Russian fitness coach has died after attempting a binge-eating challenge in which he aimed to gain, and then rapidly lose, more than 22.7 kg to promote his new weight-loss program.
Dmitry Nuyanzin, a fitness trainer and influencer from Orenburg, had reportedly spent weeks consuming up to 10,000 calories a day in a bid to pack on over 22.7 kg, according to translations from Russian social media posts cited by the Daily Mail.
The 30-year-old began feeling unwell and cancelled his training sessions, telling friends he planned to see a doctor. He later died in his sleep of cardiac arrest.
By the time of his death, Nuyanzin had gained nearly 13.6 kg in one month.
As part of the challenge, he had also promised to pay Sh13,000 ($100) to anyone who lost 10% of their body weight using his program by New Year’s.
“My WEIGHT LOSS COURSE is starting soon, where you can win cool prizes and, most importantly, build a beautiful body, learn how to eat and have fun!” he wrote on what appeared to be his Instagram account. “I’m going to be losing weight with my minions, so this will be twice as exciting!”
On Nov. 18, he revealed he had surpassed 104.3 kg, crediting his rapid gain to a diet loaded with high-cholesterol foods.
“For breakfast, I have a plate of pastries and half a cake. For lunch, I usually eat 0.8 kg of dumplings with mayonnaise,” he said. “During the day, I may snack on crisps, and for dinner, I have a burger and two small pizzas, either at a café or delivered.”
Tributes flooded social media after his death.
“I’m in total shock. Why does God take the best people?” one person wrote, while others remembered him as an “incredible person” and “bright.”
According to Brown University, excess weight places significant strain on the heart. “The larger the body, the harder the heart must work to pump and circulate the blood. Extra weight also gives the body volume, which creates more resistance for the heart to overcome as it pumps.”