Known for his larger-than-life eating habits, Nikocado Avocado has long been the face of extreme online eating.

In a twist no one saw coming, he revealed his secret 250-pound weight loss journey in a video posted on Sept. 6, leaving the internet stunned and confused.

Nicholas Perry, better known to millions as Nikocado Avocado, rose to fame with his mukbang videos — content where one consumes large amounts of food while engaging with viewers.

In the video titled “Two Steps Ahead,” Perry admitted that this was “the greatest social experiment of (his) entire life.”

“…Just yesterday, people were calling me fat and sick and boring and irrelevant,” Perry said. “People are the most messed-up creatures on the entire planet, and yet I’ve still managed to stay two steps ahead of everyone. The joke’s on you.”

It’s odd enough that he claims his entire persona was just a social experiment, but what’s even more puzzling is that he pre-recorded two years’ worth of original content before beginning his weight loss journey — ensuring a steady stream of videos while he transformed his life behind the scenes.

In an article by NBC, Perry said that two years ago, he weighed his heaviest at 411 pounds. Now, he stands at 158 pounds.

Throughout his career, viewers have brought up discussions about influencers prioritizing outrageous stunts for views rather than their health and wellness.

Perry’s eating challenges have been at the center of this debate, questioning if it’s worth risking long-term health issues for just a small amount of fame.

Perry’s journey is a reminder that what influencers project isn’t necessarily what’s going on in real life. This “social experiment” may be Perry’s way of staying relevant but it leaves viewers wondering why he isn’t being held responsible for promoting unhealthy behaviors.

After Perry started doing mukbangs in 2013, he began to notice significant weight gain but dismissed it as water weight. Since he ignored the risks of his rapid weight gain, he soon required an oxygen mask and a motorized scooter. With that, his content became increasingly childish, throwing temper tantrums for attention because viewers were getting bored of the same old videos.

In a BBC article, Jessica Brown discussed the impact food influencers have on our eating habits. Ethan Pancer, a marketing professor at Saint Mary’s University, provided insight into how these influencers shape our food choices.

“With higher engagement and reach metrics for unhealthy foods, content producers may gradually shift their content to be unhealthier to stay competitive,” Pancer said. “And with more exposure to unhealthy foods, consumer perceptions of what is considered normal eating habits may skew to be unhealthier.”

To further justify his weight gain, Perry made merchandise with slogans like “It’s just water weight” and “I identify as skinny.” He made these two phrases his entire brand, repeating them throughout his videos on YouTube.

Nikocado Avocado’s story serves as a prime example of the blurred lines between entertainment and health.

“I don’t know if people even like me anymore. I don’t know if people want to hear from me or like my content at all. I actually just don’t even know,” Perry said. “At the end of the day, if just one or two people show up to watch me eat, I’m happy.”

While his transformation seems impressive, his immediate return to mukbangs suggests that he isn’t done yet.

Is this just another chapter of his social experiment, or a continuation of the cycle that he claims to have outgrown?

We’ll never truly know when money and fame are in question.