By Henrylito D. Tacio

Mukbang is not a Tagalog word but rather it’s a term popular in Korea, which has now become known throughout the world. It combines two Korean words: meongneun for “eating” and bangsong for “broadcast.” Morphologically, it is comparable to “eatcast” or “eatroom.”

Mukbang is defined as an “online audiovisual broadcast in which a host consumes various quantities of food while interacting with the audience.” Tracing back, the genre became fashionable in South Korea in the early 2010s. 

By the mid-2010s, it has become a global trend as it gained popularity among netizens of all ages, especially in video-sharing platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Varieties of foods ranging from pizza to noodles are consumed in front of a camera. 

Wikipedia gives this insight: “Prior to the 21st century, Korea had traditionally had a food culture based on healthy eating practices and strict Confucian etiquette. However, a new food culture since the late 2000s has emerged in South Korea characterized by internet eating culture.”

That’s how mukbang came to be. Mukbang was first introduced on the real-time internet TV service AfreecaTV in 2009. Then, it became a trend in cable channels as well as terrestrial broadcasting. 

“This form of programming emphasizes the attractiveness of the person who prepares the food,” Wikipedia states. “Eating and cooking shows are becoming effective programs for broadcasting companies as production costs are lower than reality entertainment programs.

“Academics have also attributed the origins of mukbang in South Korea as being a part of widespread anxiety, loneliness and unhappiness in many South Koreans with their hyper competitive country’s socioeconomic situation and society,” Wikipedia adds. “Consequently, mukbang gives them an opportunity to relieve some of these stressors.”

But there’s another side of mukbang. Consuming large portions of food in one sitting is bad for your health.

“Overeating, especially in the quantities seen in mukbang videos, poses severe health risks,” The Times of India pointed out. “These include obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and gastrointestinal issues. Additionally, the habit of binge eating can promote unhealthy eating patterns among viewers, particularly impressionable young audiences.”

A 37-year-old food content creator in Iligan City died after consuming a large quantity of fried chicken during a broadcast. Because of this incident, the Department of Health (DOH) is considering banning mukbang vlogs, stating its adverse impacts on the viewers’ mental and physical health.

According to Manila Doctors Hospital (MDH), the demise of the content creator from Iligan City was due to hemorrhagic stroke, a condition where blood vessels in the brain rupture and bleed. 

Dr. Leonard Pascual, an MDH stroke neurologist, enumerated the three possibilities of why people suffer from this kind of stroke – “this could be because of blood, blood vessels, and brain.”

Dr. Pascual noted that low platelet count in their blood can cause bleeding in the brain. “If a person also has a high blood pressure or an abrupt rise in their blood pressure due to stress and other external factors, small blood vessels in the brain may rupture leading to stroke,” he explained.

Hemorrhagic transformation, a complication that occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked, may also occur. This causes further damage to brain tissue and can aggregate the outcome of the initial stroke.

“Cardiovascular diseases are now increasing in the young, thus there are now increased cases of stroke and heart diseases at an early age,” added Dr. Karin Estepa-Garcia, of MDH Family and Community Medicine.

The MDH is one of the hospitals in the country that tries to explain the health hazards of mukbang. 

“While it may be fascinating to watch these kinds of videos on the internet, medical and health experts have noted their concerns on its damaging impact to a person’s physical and mental health. Moreover, the unrealistic portions of uneaten food promote food waste, thus becoming an environmental hazard too,” MDH said in a statement.

There are a variety of reasons why viewers enjoy watching mukbang videos. For one, it can be a way to cope with stress and a form of entertainment for them. Viewers may also be able to identify their habits and food preferences with the food vloggers, or also a way for them to escape isolation. 

“Beyond these reasons, there are multifaceted potential effects of mukbang videos to the viewers. Some risks are mental and emotional entanglements and the physical dangers of overeating,” MDH pointed out. 

Dr. Garcia, however, expresses her concern with the rampant popularity of mukbang videos and the health risks it poses to certain individuals. “Anything in excess of your required caloric intake is unhealthy, especially for people who are at risk of hypertension and diabetes as they require a specific diet as part of the lifestyle intervention needed for preventive care,” she said.

Frequent viewing of mukbang videos may also lead towards disordered and unhealthy eating. 

Dr. Garcia noted that some behaviors from the video trend may closely mimic an eating disorder, making people over consume and binge eat unhealthy food. It promotes overeating leading to being overweight or obese. 

“Obesity is a disease in itself and these kinds of unhealthy practices, like mukbang, can increase the risk of anyone having this disease,” the doctor stressed.

Medical and health experts from MDH advise people to always ensure that essential minerals and nutrients are included in their diet. There is a need for positive reinforcement in mitigating most of the unhealthy lifestyle of individuals, Dr. Garcia said. “We always educate our patients and their support system on the recommended nutritional intake. If there is already an internet addiction due to non-stop watching of certain videos online, then it is also recommended to refer the person to an addiction specialist,” she urged.