Fitness YouTuber and cancer research scientist Stephanie Buttermore has died unexpectedly at age 36, her fianc\u00e9 and partner of 10 years Jeff Nippard announced Friday, March 6. She was 36 years old. \u2014 stephanie_buttermore Instagram<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
Fitness YouTuber and cancer research scientist Stephanie Buttermore has died unexpectedly at age 36, her fianc\u00e9 and partner of 10 years Jeff Nippard announced<\/strong><\/a> Friday, March 6. She was 36 years old.<\/p>\n \u201cAs many of you know, Stephanie meant the world to Jeff. She will be remembered for her warmth and compassion, her love for her family, and her PhD research on ovarian cancer.\u201d\u00a0The cause of death was not immediately made public.<\/p>\n Buttermore built a large following online through YouTube<\/strong><\/a> and Instagram<\/strong><\/a> by combining her scientific background with fitness content.\u00a0The former competitive bodybuilder initially became widely known for viral 10,000-calorie challenge videos and bodybuilding-related content.<\/p>\n She later opened up to followers about struggles with food and body image, ultimately documenting a major shift in her approach to health through what she called her \u201call in\u201d journey.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI am going all in. What this basically means is I’m going to be eating a minimum of 2,500 calories a day, every single day,\u201d she said in one video explaining the decision.<\/p>\n The change came after she lost her menstrual cycle and followed a doctor\u2019s recommendation to prioritize recovery and nutrition.\u00a0Buttermore told followers she was giving herself \u201cunconditional permission to eat\u201d in an effort to repair her relationship with food and stop the cycle of restrictive dieting.<\/p>\n Over the following years, she documented the experience online with unusual transparency, sharing both the physical and emotional changes that came with the process.\u00a0In a later update<\/strong><\/a>, she said she had gained about 40 pounds during the journey and spoke candidly about body image.<\/p>\n \u201cInstead of being a fitness influencer, I just became Stephanie, a person you could relate to,\u201d she said in the video, noting that\u00a0she no longer wanted to pursue the extreme leanness that defined her earlier bodybuilding career.<\/p>\n \u201cBody positive doesn’t always come easy to me but I’ve learned to accept my body,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Buttermore has not posted a YouTube video in nearly two years, and in May 2024 she announced she would be taking a break from Instagram.<\/p>\n News of her death spread quickly through the fitness community, with thousands of followers leaving messages of support and tributes on both her Instagram page and Nippard\u2019s.<\/p>\n The statement from Nippard\u2019s team asked for privacy as loved ones process the loss.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n