A 20-year-old competitive bodybuilder died in 2024 after taking a banned weight-loss substance.
State Coroner Adam Nakhoda ruled the youth’s death a substance-related accident on Oct. 16, CNA reported.
The youth, who was a polytechnic student at the time, cannot be named due to a gag order.
Investigations could not establish where he obtained it or whether he knew what he was consuming.
Died from DNP toxicity
The youth died on Dec. 22, 2024 from dinitrophenol (DNP) toxicity.
He had complained of difficulty breathing and was hospitalised the same day.
Despite treatment, he deteriorated and suffered a cardiac arrest.
He could not be resuscitated.
DNP is listed under Singapore’s Poisons Act and is prohibited for use as a weight-loss agent because of toxicity concerns, CNA reported.
The Straits Times reported that it has no legitimate medical use in humans and no effective antidote.
It is falsely marketed by illegal sellers as a fast and safe weight-loss drug.
Toxicology tests conducted after his death detected a fatal amount of DNP in his system.
The substance was found in samples of his stomach contents, and the coroner found it probable that he had consumed it shortly before his death.
Had been stressed over competitions
The youth had been training intensely for bodybuilding competitions and hoped to become a professional bodybuilder.
His mother also planned to open a gym for him to run so he could pursue his passion, the report noted.
He would spend long hours training intensely, and was very disciplined about his diet while preparing for competitions.
During a clinic visit in August 2024, he reported struggling with uncontrollable binge-eating, which he attributed to the stress of preparing for competitions.
He sought and was prescribed weight-loss medication, but that medication was not linked to the DNP that caused his death.
In the early hours of Dec. 22, 2024, he was admitted to hospital after experiencing heart palpitations and difficulty breathing.
While at the hospital, the youth had told hospital staff he had taken “fat burners”.
It could not be determined whether the youth knew he was taking DNP.
A medical report cited by the coroner said bodybuilders may use medicines off-label in pursuit of a muscular, “shredded” physique.
Bodybuilders are also highly vulnerable to muscle dysmorphia, said the report.
Source of DNP unknown
During investigations, police found 34 types of medication and other substances at his home, but none contained DNP.
Many were used to manage the side effects of performance-enhancing steroids, and some were prescription medications for conditions there was no evidence the youth had.
Police seized the youth’s mobile phone during investigations, but were unable to unlock it.
As a result, they could not establish where the substances he had been taking, including the DNP, came from, ST reported.
The coroner said his family knew he had been taking supplements, but did not question him as they trusted him.
Mother questions how he obtained drug
In court, the youth’s mother questioned how her son had been able to obtain DNP.
She raised the possibility that he could have been “encouraged” or coerced to take it while preparing for a bodybuilding competition.
He was “under tremendous pressure to keep to a certain weight and a physique”, she added.
She also said there was a person from the bodybuilding community behaving suspiciously at her son’s wake.
Despite the mother’s concerns, the coroner said there was no evidence that DNP had been given to the youth against his will.
Police did not suspect foul play.
He advised the mother to make a police statement, adding that the inquiry could be reopened if the new information warranted it. She agreed.
A follow-up court session is scheduled for Oct. 26.
The judge said that the youth’s drive and dedication to his sport was apparent, and called his death a “profound tragedy”.
