TikTok star dies aged 24 due to 'complications caused by extreme obesity' after he followed Mukbang trend

Efecan Kultur died on Friday (March 7) in hospital. He had reportedly been battling obesity for some time, and his health deteriorated recently due to the complications caused by his weight gain. He had been recieving hospital treatment related to his weight prior to his untimely death.

Kultur, who was from Turkiye, had more than 156,000 followers on TikTok and 12,000 followers on Instagram with his exaggerated eating videos known as Mukbang. The trend began in South Korea in around 2010, and sees people eat food while viewers watch. The amount of food consumed is often excessive.

The social media star would frequently share live broadcasts of him eating large quantities of food. It is reported by local media that at the time of his death he could not stand up due to his weight. Efecan did not reveal precisely how much he weighed to his fans.

The news of Kultur's death was announced by fellow Instagram star Yasin Oyanık, known as Ankaraabisi. His official cause of death has not been announced, but it has been widely reported that his passing happened due to complications caused by his extreme obesity.

His neighbour Ethem Yılmaz told local news that Efecan had previously suffered tragedy as he lost both his parents at a young age. He said: "He was a clean friend of ours, we knew him and we were very sorry. My condolences to everyone. His mother and father had passed away before. He was a young man we loved very much."

Friend Mustafa Bayar also told the publication: "Efecan was a friend of ours. He caught this illness a year ago. I offer my condolences to his relatives, loved ones and family." Fans have also left comments on his social media page, many saying ‘may he rest in peace’ alongside crying face emojis.

Kultur’s funeral was held on Saturday, (March 8), at a local mosque and then he was buried in a local cemetery.