Japanese influencer who ate 600 fried chicken and 100 burgers in one sitting retires after battling bipolar disorder
Japanese competitive eating icon Yuka Kinoshita announced her retirement due to health concerns and age, ending the career that captivated millions online.
Yuka Kinoshita, a world-famous Japanese competitive eater with over 5.2 million followers on social media, has announced her retirement due to health concerns and age. Her decision, shared online on February 1, comes just months after she returned to social media following a seven-month break caused by bipolar affective disorder, reported the South China Morning Post.
“I will turn 40 on February 4, and it is really hard for me to continue working as a big eater,” Kinoshita explained in her announcement. “I am very exhausted. My health has deteriorated over the years. It is no problem to eat like a normal person, but I will feel tired even when I am not full. So I am afraid I cannot eat as much as before.”
Kinoshita first rose to fame in 2009 on the Japanese reality show The Battle of Big Eaters, where her slim stature and charming smile stood in stark contrast to her massive food consumption. Although she did not win the competition, she quickly gained popularity and launched her own online channel in 2014, documenting her impressive eating feats.
600 fried chicken, 100 burgers…
Her jaw-dropping accomplishments included consuming 600 fried chicken, 100 burgers, or 5 kilograms each of steak and ramen in a single sitting. In one particularly memorable video, Kinoshita devoured bibimbap mixed with 50 eggs alongside 6 kilograms of miso soup. Despite regularly eating between 5,000 to 20,000 calories per meal, she maintained a weight of just 47 kilograms at a height of 158 cm.
After taking a break from content creation early last year, Kinoshita returned in August, sharing that she was slowly recovering from her mental illness. In a recent video, she revealed her happiness with her three cats and shared, “I am not in the mood for love and I never thought of getting married. With my three cats, I am quite happy and content.” Looking toward the future, she added, “For this new year, I hope I can live a long life like a snake.”
Her retirement announcement sparked widespread reactions on social media. One follower wrote, “Your health is the most important. Thank you for your previous videos, which are healing to me. I was also concerned about your health. Hope you can develop other healthy habits.”
Another user reflected on Kinoshita’s influence: “When my spirits were low and I did not want to eat anything, I encountered your videos. You made me think food is delicious and so I went out to eat. I feel grateful to you.”
Kinoshita's departure from competitive eating marks the end of a unique and inspiring career that has left a lasting impact on fans around the world
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