Nikacado Avocado’s secret weight loss transformation breaks the internet. Graphic by: Ella Duncan.

Popular mukbang influencer shocks many of his viewers with a secret weight loss

The popular YouTuber Nikocado Avocado shocked many viewers with his recent video “Two Steps Ahead” posted on Sept. 6. Nikocado Avocado (Nicholas Perry) is most famously known for his mukbangs which involve eating large amounts of food in front of a camera while interacting with his audience. Perry rose to fame by calling himself the “Mukbang King” while consuming immense amounts of food. 

Mukbangs originated in South Korea and have now become popular all over the world. Perry’s fans had many concerns about his health over the years of him posting his mukbang content. His viewers saw him gain weight, share details of numerous alleged health complications and clash with commenters and other YouTubers. To the internet’s surprise, Perry’s most recent video on YouTube “Two Steps Ahead” informs viewers that in the last two years, all of his content had been pre recorded. Perry lost his weight in secret, losing 250lbs, now weighing 150lbs.

Isa Lauderbaugh ‘25 said, “I thought the new video was ridiculous. He claims he is turning over a new page and eating healthy but then eats a massive plate of noodles throughout the video. It doesn’t make any sense.”

What sparked this change in Perry’s approach to his health and well-being? According to the YouTuber himself, his obesity was a wake-up call that caused him to reevaluate his priorities and make an effort to improve not only his physical state, but his mental state as well. Perry deals with binge eating, depression and anxiety, all of which were unmanaged due to his past lifestyle. In a recent interview, Perry said, “I realized that the path I was on was not sustainable, and it was not only negatively impacting my own life but also setting a poor example for my audience. I knew I had to make a change, not just for myself, but for the people that have supported me along the way.” 

Symphony Rutledge-Schwarts ‘25 said, “When the ‘Two Steps Ahead’ video came out, I was shocked. I had no idea that he was pre recording his videos. As far his weight loss journey goes, I think it’s up to him to continue to make health-conscious decisions. I feel eating a giant plate of noodles during the video while revealing his weight loss contradicts what he is trying to stand for.” 

Perry detailed how he was able to pull this off on NBC News. “I have strategically posted pre-recorded videos on both YouTube and TikTok. I edited the videos so they would appear recent, allowing me to focus on healing my body behind the scenes. I shaved my head so people wouldn’t recognize me in public. A handful of fellow Youtubers also helped me keep reinforcing the story that he was still battling with obesity.” This was Perry’s plan for a social experiment.

As Perry continues on his health journey, many wonder how this will affect his content. Though he may lose viewers, Perry doesn’t seem to mind. “At the end of the day, if just one or two people show up to watch me eat, I’m happy,” said Perry.