A 27-year-old woman was found dead in a Bali hotel room after years of following an extreme 'fruitarian' diet that left her severely malnourished and weighing just 3.5 stone (22kg).
Karolina Krzyzak, a Polish national and former University of Leeds student, had been following a highly restrictive diet based largely on raw fruit. She checked into the Sumberkima Hill resort in northern Bali in December 2024, where staff were reportedly alarmed by her physical condition.
Reports about her death have renewed concerns over extreme diets that severely restrict major food groups, particularly when they are followed alongside a history of disordered eating.
Karolina Krzyzak Arrived 'Emaciated'
According to reports from The Sun and subsequent coverage, Krzyzak arrived at the Bali resort in an extremely frail condition.
Hotel staff reportedly described her as 'emaciated', with sunken eyes and prominent collarbones. She was said to have been so weak that a member of the night staff helped her to her room.
Staff reportedly asked whether she needed medical attention, but she declined. They also became increasingly concerned during her short stay as her physical condition appeared to deteriorate.
Krzyzak had requested fruit to be delivered to her room and spent much of her time there. Reports say she became increasingly weak and eventually struggled with basic movement.
Three days after checking into the resort, staff were alerted by a local acquaintance who had become concerned after losing contact with her. A member of staff subsequently went to check on Krzyzak and found her unresponsive in her room.
She was 27.
Last Image of Karolina Krzyzak at the Sumberkima Hill Resort in Bali, Indonesia in December 2024. On January 1 2025, she was found dead in her room by resort staff. Her cause of death was severe malnutrition from the vegan fruitarian diet she adopted as a path to spiritual and physical health.
by u/simwet in poland
Her Diet Had Become Increasingly Restrictive
Reports about Krzyzak's life indicate that her relationship with food had been difficult for years.
According to accounts cited in coverage of the case, she had experienced anorexia during her teenage years. While studying in the UK, she became interested in yoga and veganism before eventually adopting a raw-fruit-only diet.
She reportedly began following the fruitarian lifestyle at around the age of 19.
A fruitarian diet can vary, but extreme versions may involve eating predominantly or exclusively fruit. Unlike a balanced diet, this approach can make it difficult to get enough protein, fats and other essential nutrients.
The British Dietetic Association warns that diets which remove whole food groups can increase the risk of nutritional deficiencies and an unbalanced intake. Its guidance also cautions against severe dietary restriction and fad diets promoted as quick fixes.
Severe Malnutrition Had Taken a Toll on Her Health
By the time of her death, reports said Krzyzak weighed approximately 22kg, or 3.5 stone.
She was also reported to have developed osteoporosis and an albumin deficiency. These conditions were attributed in reports to prolonged malnutrition.
The NHS explains that malnutrition occurs when the body does not receive the nutrients it needs and can result in weight loss, weakness, tiredness and a reduced ability to carry out everyday activities. A balanced diet normally requires a variety of food groups, including sources of protein and other essential nutrients.
The NHS also lists osteoporosis among the serious physical complications associated with anorexia and prolonged undernutrition. Other complications can include muscle weakness, problems affecting the heart and blood vessels, kidney or bowel problems and a weakened immune system.
That makes the reported physical deterioration in Krzyzak's case particularly concerning, although individual medical findings and the precise circumstances surrounding her death should not be assumed beyond what has been reported.
Why Extreme Fruitarian Diets Can Be Dangerous
Fruit is an important part of a healthy diet and provides vitamins, minerals, fibre and other beneficial nutrients. The concern arises when fruit becomes virtually the only source of food.
The British Dietetic Association notes that fruit and vegetables provide a range of valuable nutrients but emphasises the importance of variety. Severely restricting the diet can mean missing nutrients supplied by other food groups.
The NHS similarly recommends a balanced diet containing fruit and vegetables alongside starchy foods, dairy or suitable alternatives and sources of protein such as meat, fish, eggs and beans.
For someone already experiencing an eating disorder or severe restriction, further limiting food choices can carry particularly serious risks.
The NHS states that anorexia can lead to severe physical complications because of inadequate nutrition and can become life-threatening. Treatment may include nutritional support and, when someone's physical health is severely compromised, hospital care.
A Tragic Warning About Restrictive Eating
Krzyzak's death has drawn renewed attention to the risks of extreme dieting, particularly when restrictive eating is presented as a route to better health or wellbeing.
The case also highlights the difficulty of separating a dietary choice from an underlying eating disorder. The NHS describes eating disorders as mental health conditions in which food can become a means of controlling feelings or other situations, with behaviours including eating very little and developing strict routines around food.
Importantly, a diet centred on fruit is not inherently dangerous when it forms part of a varied and nutritionally adequate eating pattern. The concern is the extreme restriction described in Krzyzak's case and the severe malnutrition that reportedly followed.
Her story serves as a sobering reminder that dramatic weight loss and increasingly restrictive eating should not simply be dismissed as lifestyle choices. They can be signs that someone needs professional medical and psychological support.
Anyone experiencing significant or unexplained weight loss, extreme food restriction or symptoms of an eating disorder should seek advice from a GP or qualified healthcare professional rather than attempting to manage severe restriction alone.
