Mukbang videos, popular videos on platforms like TikTok, are a growing social media trend. While some find them entertaining, concerns are raised about potential health risks, such as overeating and promoting unhealthy habits. One TikToker, @Jellybean.sweets, has been criticized for consuming excessive calories, leading to worries about eating disorders and resource misuse. However, cooking videos can also educate viewers, showing the positive side of food content online.
We have all seen the “mukbangs” on the internet these days, especially on TikTok. A mukbang is a video that features a person eating a large quantity of food and addressing the audience.
While some may find them entertaining, others are repulsed. Is eating an entire menu of food for views healthy? Is this leading to serious consequences like eating disorders and economic burdens? Read more below to find out!
@Jellybean.sweets is a TikTok famous food reviewer. She went viral for sharing her food orders and eating them on recording. She’s particularly famous for going to Taco Bell and ordering half the menu. She’s been doing mukbangs for about a year now, each time eating fast food. Her followers have pointed out her weight gain since she started posting and started counting her calories. This can’t be healthy in any way. Viewers on TikTok have suggested that she eats more than 6,000 calories a day, which indicates a serious eating disorder. Mukbangs promote gluttonous eating and greediness. There are people in the world who do not have access to food and struggle to provide for their families. Meanwhile, people on TikTok are overeating and being greedy with their money and resources.
On the other hand, there are benefits to eating and cooking videos on TikTok because they are teaching our generation about food. An example from CNN, is the viral “baked feta pasta” recipe that caused a 200% increase in feta block sales because everyone was wanting to make this easy recipe. “The block of white feta, lightly browned from the oven, resting on a bed of roasted cherry tomatoes and olive oil. Mixed together, the cheese and the tomatoes make a sauce. Add cooked pasta, and dinner is served.”.
So, as a society we need to be careful on the internet when it comes to food and our bodies. We need to keep promoting healthy habits and cutting out negative ones.
