Bodybuilder, 20, died from toxicity caused by banned weight-loss substance: Coroner's court
The polytechnic student sought medical treatment for breathing difficulties and heart palpitations, admitting that he had taken an unidentified "fat burner".
The State Courts of Singapore. (File photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
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SINGAPORE: A 20-year-old competitive bodybuilder who was studying at a polytechnic died in 2024 from toxicity caused by a banned weight-loss substance.
The youth, who cannot be named due to gag orders protecting his identity imposed by the coroner's court, was hospitalised after having heart palpitations and difficulty breathing but died on Dec 22, 2024.
The case investigation officer told the coroner's court at the opening of the inquiry on Thursday (Apr 23) that the deceased lived with his parents and older brother.
He checked into hospital saying he had taken a "fat burner" which caused him to have heart palpitations and difficulty breathing.
He was transferred from Mount Elizabeth to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he died the same day.
The final cause of death was dinitrophenol toxicity. Dinitrophenol is a substance listed under the Poisons Act. It is used as a weight-loss agent, but is prohibited due to concerns of toxicity.
A check of the man's home revealed some medications and substances, but none were linked to dinitrophenol.
According to medical reports, the man was into bodybuilding but had issues with losing weight. He was also undergoing skin treatment and had been taking medications from various clinics.
He was given weight-loss medication by one of the clinics, but this was not linked to the toxic substance found in his blood.
The investigation officer, Station Inspector Ahmad Abdillah, said foul play was not suspected in this case.
"He wished to tone down his body and lose his weight," said SI Ahmad Abdillah.
Witness accounts supported this, with the man’s mother saying he had been taking fat burners but did not know which type.
The deceased was also unable to identify the fat burner he had taken while at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
His parents knew he had been taking some medication but did not know what he was consuming on a daily basis, said SI Ahmad Abdillah. A total of 34 substances or medical items were seized from the man's bedroom and kitchen area.
Some of them were supplements his parents had bought for him to support his body-building, said SI Ahmad Abdillah.
State Coroner Adam Nakhoda adjourned the case and asked the investigation officer to conduct further checks, including which medications had been purchased by the deceased’s parents.
At the coroner's prompting, SI Ahmad Abdillah said the deceased had successfully taken part in bodybuilding competitions.
The coroner said that while the substance that caused the youth’s death was not found among his belongings, he asked whether police had seized his mobile phone or other devices to trace its source.
SI Ahmad Abdillah said the phone was seized, but could not be accessed as it was locked.
The coroner also asked the officer to find out what chronic illnesses, if any, the deceased had been diagnosed with and what medications he had been given.
If not, was there a reason the man was taking various medications, and was there any link between them and bodybuilding or weight loss, the coroner added.
