Vegan woman, 27, found dead in Bali hotel after adopting extreme fruit-only diet
Friends say Polish traveler Karolina Krzyzak sought healing through raw eating but grew dangerously weak before her death
Karolina Krzyzak, a 27-year-old woman from Poland, was found deceased in her Bali hotel room weighing under 50 pounds after years on a strict fruit-only diet. Her death has reignited debate over extreme raw food lifestyles and online diet culture.
Krzyzak, a former Leeds University student, began her fruit-only diet at 19. Friends say she initially viewed veganism as a path to health and self-discovery but later became fixated on increasingly restrictive eating patterns.
By late 2024, when she checked into the Sumberkima Hill resort in Bali, her physical condition had deteriorated. Staff said she appeared “emaciated,” with visible bones and sunken eyes, and was too weak to walk without assistance.
“She refused medical help even when we offered several times,” one staff member told The Cut. “We were very worried.”
Final days at the resort
Krzyzak arrived at the resort in December 2024, requesting fruit-only meals delivered to her villa. Employees said she rarely left her room and often needed help moving in bed.
A local café owner who knew Krzyzak became concerned after being unable to reach her and asked hotel staff to check in. When they entered her villa, they found her lifeless.
Staff later described the scene as distressing: Krzyzak’s hair had turned gray, her skin was mottled, and her fingernails were yellow. Authorities reported no signs of foul play.
A long struggle with body image
Friends and social media posts suggest that Krzyzak had struggled with eating disorders since adolescence. In a 2013 Facebook post, she wrote, “Why do you cry? ’Cause I’m fat.”
After moving to the UK for university, she embraced veganism and began posting about the lifestyle on Instagram. Over time, her content shifted toward raw and fruit-based diets. As her weight dropped, followers often left comments praising her appearance.
“She needed medical and psychological help,” one friend told The Cut, “but people kept telling her she looked good.”
Influenced by online diet groups
Krzyzak reportedly connected with online communities promoting extreme fruitarianism — a raw diet consisting solely of fruit — which advocates claim can “detox” the body.
One prominent figure in the movement told reporters that Krzyzak had reached out in 2017, asking how to recover from anorexia and regain her menstrual cycle. “She wanted to heal,” the source said, “but she was encouraged to keep going.”
News of Krzyzak’s death has stirred discussion across social media about the dangers of unregulated diet advice online. Many users have pointed to the lack of medical guidance and the risks of promoting extreme food restrictions under the guise of wellness.
Experts warn that while plant-based diets can be healthy when balanced, fruitarian or severely restrictive eating can lead to nutrient deficiencies, muscle loss, and organ failure.
Krzyzak’s story, they say, is a reminder of how vulnerable individuals searching for health or self-worth can fall into dangerous habits reinforced by social media validation.
