CHINA: A 28-year-old woman from Suzhou, Jiangsu province, was left fighting for her life after using an unregulated “weight-loss injection” she had purchased online — a cautionary tale that has since shocked social media. The woman, known only by her surname Chen, recounted her ordeal in interviews carried by state broadcaster CCTV, with details also reported by the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
Ms Chen told local media that she first learned about the supposed slimming product from a friend’s social media post. The friend claimed each jab could help users shed at least 3.5 kg per dose. This was a claim that tempted Ms Chen into purchasing a three-shot package for 900 yuan (S$164). As reported by SCMP, she said she injected only half the recommended dose to “play it safe”, applying the shot around her abdomen.
Rapid weight loss, but with rapid decline
Within days, Ms Chen began to experience vomiting, nausea and a sharp loss of appetite, symptoms she initially dismissed as “normal side effects”. She was even encouraged by the early results. “In the first three days, I really did lose almost a kilogram a day. I lost 5 kg in total over just four days,” she was quoted as saying by SCMP.
But on the fourth day, her condition took a turn for the worse. What’s more concerning was how rapidly her deterioration was going.
“On the fourth day, I started vomiting green and yellow fluids. At the hospital, they told me it was bile, and I had already burned the lining of my stomach,” she said. Her symptoms escalated frighteningly: while lying down for an electrocardiogram, Ms Chen suddenly vomited blood.
“My digestive tract was damaged and already bleeding. At that point, my pulse had stopped,” she was reported as saying by SCMP. “I was not aware of anything: blood draws, emergency procedures and atrial fibrillation treatment. I only learned about it after regaining consciousness. My boyfriend told me I had come very close to receiving a critical condition notice.”
Doctors managed to stabilise her, but warned that her digestive tract had not fully healed. They advised her to avoid pregnancy for at least a year.
Investigations reveal a dangerous underground industry
According to SCMP, investigations exposed that the injections were found to be entirely unregulated. Though marketed under trendy names and aggressively promoted in livestream salesrooms, they were not legitimate medical products. Authorities discovered they were made in small, unlicensed workshops using forged or borrowed production licences.
Inside these workshops, illegally sourced semaglutide—which is a popular, albeit prescription-only drug used to treat type 2 diabetes and clinically managed obesity—was repackaged as cheap “slimming jabs.” Each dose reportedly costs just four yuan to produce.
The incident has triggered widespread concern online, with many users expressing shock at how easily such potentially lethal products continue to spread on social media. This story also shows how important regulatory bodies are, especially with things that people put in their bodies. If absolutely necessary, people can opt to seek professional medical consultations regarding safe and proven methods for weight reduction and not rely on bogus injectables, which are likely laced with impurities.
Societal pressures, body image anxieties and the cost of external expectations
Ms Chen’s story has sparked conversations about beauty standards and body image pressures, which are issues many netizens say fuel desperation and dangerous decisions. One online commenter lamented, “I would rather look fat than do all of this.” This kind of remark shows growing frustration with a culture that ties self-worth to appearance.
Other people raised questions about the weight of the expectations placed on other women. “Why does someone put so much pressure on herself like that?” they said, pointing to the deep-rooted societal norms that often shame women for even minor fluctuations in their bodies.
This kind of issue, however, may also go the other way around. As one commenter noted, “And here I am, doing everything I can to gain weight. I’m tired of being thin or slim.” The remark highlights a painful truth: no one seems insulated from criticism; people will likely be scrutinised whether they appear “too big” or “too small”. In many cases, the problem is not the body, but the relentless culture of commentary surrounding it.
Another user summed up the matter bluntly: “Taking shortcuts when it comes to weight loss is always a disaster.”
A reminder to be kind and to stop commenting on others’ bodies
Ms Chen’s ordeal is a stark reminder of the dangers of unregulated health products, but it is also a mirror reflecting the intense body-image pressures that shape daily life.
As conversations around the incident continue, it is worth revisiting a simple but powerful rule: do not comment on other people’s weight — not how slim they look, not how much weight they’ve put on. Even well-intentioned remarks can reinforce insecurities or push vulnerable individuals towards harmful behaviours.
Kindness costs nothing. And sometimes, silence is the kindest thing of all.
