Karolina Krzyzak, a 27-year-old former Leeds University student from Poland, was found dead in her hotel room in Bali after years of adhering to an extreme «fruitarian» diet.
Krzyzak, who once weighed as little as 3.5 stone (22 kilograms), had consumed only raw fruit since the age of 19. Friends and family said she became increasingly obsessed with «clean eating» and body image, despite suffering severe health consequences including osteoporosis, nutrient deficiencies, and visible physical decline.
Found Dead in Resort Room
Krzyzak checked into the Sumberkima Hill resort in northern Bali in December 2024. Staff described her as «emaciated,» with sunken eyes and protruding bones, and said she required assistance just to reach her room.
Despite offers to call a doctor, she refused medical help and requested that staff deliver only fruit to her door. Over the next several days, she scarcely left her room. Concern grew when a local acquaintance, who ran a raw vegan café in Ubud, contacted the resort after losing touch with her. Staff discovered her body in her room three days later.
Years of Declining Health
Born in Warsaw, Krzyzak moved to the UK at 18 to study at Leeds University, where she developed an interest in yoga and veganism. She later adopted the fruitarian diet after meeting others in the raw vegan community.
Although her parents urged her to seek treatment, and she briefly underwent inpatient care for an eating disorder in 2018, she quickly returned to her restrictive diet. Online, she gained a following by posting images of smoothie bowls and engaging in live sessions, where viewers often praised her appearance despite her deteriorating health.
Friends later said she suffered from rotting teeth, yellowed fingernails, and swelling caused by malnutrition. One fruitarian health coach who met her in Bali estimated she weighed no more than 60 pounds (4.2 stone).
«She needed medical and psychological help, but the community often validated her behaviours instead,» one friend told investigators.
Final Months in Bali
In 2024, Krzyzak traveled through Tenerife before arriving in Bali, where she hoped to connect with like-minded fruitarians in Ubud. Despite her worsening condition, she rejected conventional medical care and insisted any treatment should align with a raw vegan diet.
Her death highlights the dangers of extreme dietary practices and the pressures of online validation that can fuel disordered eating.
