Mukbang: A Trend or a Health Hazard

                               

                                           

 

Mukbang, sometimes known as an eating show, is a type of audiovisual web streaming in which a presenter consumes massive quantities of food in front of an audience that is present in real time. It was in 2010 when it first began to gain popularity in South Korea, and since then, it has expanded to become an essential component of the Hallyu phenomenon along with K-beauty, K-pop, and Korean drama. 

This has helped to solidify its standing as a worldwide trend. People consume a wide array of foods in front of the camera, ranging from pizza to noodles and everything in between. Mukbang can also serve an educational role by highlighting restaurants in the neighbourhood or exhibiting regional cuisine.

It has become a trend that Is followed all around the world and is being embraced by YouTube channels in every country. The now Mukbang channels have a legion of devoted followers across the globe. It is a sort of social engagement in which those who follow these channels are able to have the experience of eating a meal and conversing with another person while remaining in the convenience and cosiness of their own homes.

The widespread anxiety and dissatisfaction of Koreans as a result of their country’s prolonged economic depression is blamed, at least in part, by the authors of The Economist for the phenomenon’s enormous appeal. This is because widespread worry and dissatisfaction is a symptoms of economic depression. There have been articles written about mukbang that have been published in both The Huffington Post and The Wall Street Journal. Mukbang is the Korean term for eating shows, and it has become increasingly common in other types of eating performances, such as those on websites like YouTube that include an autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR).

This South Korean eating show has quickly spread its influence and popularity to other Asian countries like Japan and China. Examples of these countries include Japan and China. The word for “mukbang” in Chinese is pronounced “Chibo,” and hosts generally record their performances as vlogs or short videos, which they subsequently upload to Weibo and other social media websites.

According to research conducted by Seoul National University between April 2017 and April 2019, there were roughly 100,000 videos on YouTube that featured the phrase “mukbang.” According to the information presented in the article, the potential of mukbang to lessen feelings of isolation brought on by eating by oneself may be the primary factor contributing to the dish’s rising popularity.

In a pilot project that began in February 2022 on mukbang-watching and mental health, psychologists laid the framework for future research on the potential dangers of using mukbang, also known as virtual dining, as a substitute for real-life social activities.

                                                    

How Exactly Does Mukbang Come To Be Considered a Health Hazard?

In the course of a mukbang, enormous quantities of food are both consumed and discarded.

The recordings of certain mukbangers show them chewing food and then spitting it out; however, the spitting out has been edited away to give the impression that they have eaten a lot more than they actually have. This behavior has been brought to light with regard to Boki, a well-known mukbanger on YouTube.

Those who oppose mukbang argue that the practice normalizes and glorifies excessive eating due to the quantity of food that is devoured and the manner in which it is done so.

The "National Obesity Management Comprehensive Measures” of South Korea were presented to the public in July 2018, and they included proposals to define criteria for the practice of mukbang and develop regulations governing the activity. These measures were outlined by the Health and Welfare Ministry in order to combat the dangers to public health and binge eating that are caused as a result of mukbang. Complaints such as “the government are encroaching on individual rights” and “there is no relationship between mukbang and binge eating” were included in the total of forty petitions that were presented to the Blue House petition board in opposition to the ministry’s mukbang regulations.

According to the findings of a study that was conducted in 2021, individuals who are susceptible to Mukbang and the impact that influencers’ food consumption can have on their audiences are more prone to develop anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder.

The people live their lives through the Mukbang channels that they watch on television. They make an attempt to escape past the crowd of mukbangers who are enjoying their supper. Naturally, it is helpful when you are trying to lose weight while following a healthy diet and eating less food overall.

But what if it becomes a regular occurrence?

In this game, the participants compete to see how far they can come to become like the mukbangers by imitating their eating habits and other behaviors.

What We Put Into Our Bodies Manifests in Our Bodies

In such a situation, what kind of effects does the consistent ingestion of high-calorie food have on our bodies? Gaining a little bit of weight would be the least of our concerns. High levels of cholesterol in the bodies of mukbangers can be caused by the large amounts of high-fat meals that are consumed in their diets, which can finally result in death from a heart attack.

Written by - Aleena

Edited by - Kritika Sharma