A 22-year-old student was rushed to London's King's College Hospital after eating too many Wingstop chicken wings. Nea-Jude Ioannou, who was studying Film and Television at University of the Arts London at the time, became bed-bound with extreme abdominal pain. Paramedics suspected a burst appendix, but after six hours in A&E, a CT scan revealed the cause was severe constipation from consuming too many Wingstop takeaways.
Pain and Misdiagnosis
Nea-Jude had been ordering Wingstop twice a week, opting for the spiciest flavour, Atomic, made with Habanero peppers ranging from 200,000 to 350,000 Scoville Heat Units. She said: “It started with pains in my lower abdomen that were building and building, then for three days I was basically bed-ridden unable to move. It was the worst pain that I have ever felt in my life. I wasn’t able to eat or sleep because of the pain.”
The pain, which began in February 2024, was accompanied by night sweats, pins and needles, and pain when breathing. After five days, she called 111 and an ambulance was sent to her Peckham accommodation. She arrived at hospital around 6pm and didn't leave until 7am the next morning, with her father flying back from New York to be with her.
Doctor's Diagnosis and Trend
When the CT scan results showed constipation, the doctor told Nea-Jude that this issue is becoming increasingly common in Gen Z. She attributes this to food influencers posting mukbang videos featuring extreme foods, which inspired her unhealthy obsession. She said: “There is such a culture around spicy food and mukbang culture now with trying the craziest foods. It was Wingstop at the time and now it is seafood boils and hotpots. I was getting the most crazy flavours ever. It is all about challenging yourself with food. I think mukbangs are contributing to the issue.”
Nea-Jude also believes Klarna, the buy-now-pay-later service, made takeaways too accessible, especially for students. She added: “Klarna was really marketing to students that you could buy now and pay later and I thought it was so easy so I was getting Wingstop all the time. Especially as a student it was really appealing because it was fast and the meal deals you could get were cheap for Deliveroo.”
Treatment and Recovery
The hospital provided pain relief and a two-week supply of laxatives, which took three days to take effect, bringing significant relief. Since the incident, Nea-Jude, now living in Crouch End, North London, has taken her health more seriously, visiting her GP regularly and eating more whole foods. She still occasionally indulges in takeaways, including Wingstop, but avoids the Atomic flavour.
After sharing her experience on TikTok, many others reached out with similar stories. Nea-Jude said: “It really made me evaluate what I am putting in my body and since then I have been on a health grind. I have seen so much change in my life and in my energy. I still love a Wingstop as a treat. The food in moderation is fine, it is just the habit that I had with it.”
