Fitness Coach, 30, Dies From Binge-Eating Challenge

A fitness coach went into fatal cardiac arrest after partaking in a binge-eating challenge where he tried to gain more than 50 lbs. — and then lose it — to promote his new weight-loss program.

Dmitry Nuyanzin, a fitness coach and influencer from the Russian city of Orenburg, spent weeks eating 10,000 calories a day in a bid to gain more than 50 lbs. His plan was to then lose the weight with his new fitness program, per translations from Russian social media posts, reported Daily Mail.

The 30-year-old began to feel unwell, the outlet reports, and canceled his training sessions, telling friends he was going to see a doctor. He died in his sleep of cardiac arrest.

Nuyanzin had gained nearly 30 lbs. in a month as part of his challenge. He’d promised to pay $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 in 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’d shared that he weighed more than 230 lbs.

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His weight gain was aided by cholesterol-laden foods, he’d said, per the outlet. 

“For breakfast, I have a plate of pastries and half a cake. For lunch, I usually eat 800 grams [nearly 2 lbs.] of dumplings with mayonnaise,” he’d 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.”

Nuyanzin was remembered fondly on social media, Daily Mail reported: “I’m in total shock. Why does God take the best people?” wrote one tribute, while others remembered him as an “incredible person” and “bright.”

Excess weight can cause strain on the heart, Brown University explains. “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.”