Following the recent death of a 37-year-old food content creator due to hemorrhagic stroke related to excessive eating while filming himself, the Department of Health is considering banning mukbang vlogs, stating its adverse impacts on the viewers’ mental and physical health.
Mukbang is a term that combines Korean words for “eating” and “broadcast”. Mukbang videos – videos of content creators consuming large portions of food in one sitting – have gained popularity among netizens of all ages, especially in video-sharing platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. To this day, streamers and vloggers around the globe have their own versions of a mukbang video, showcasing a pile of high-fat, high-sugar, and ultra-processed food.
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.
The dangers of mukbang
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. Dr. Karin Estepa-Garcia, Family and Community Medicine of Manila Doctors Hospital, 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”, Garcia said.
Frequent viewing of mukbang videos may also lead towards disordered and unhealthy eating. The medical expert 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 added.
Stroke due to mukbang
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. His last video was of binge eating fried chicken and rice. MDH Stroke Neurologist Dr. Leonard Pascual enumerated the three possibilities of why people suffer from this kind of stroke – this could be because of blood, blood vessels, and brain. 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. 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”, Garcia also added.
Healthy lifestyle and diet
Medical and health experts advise people to always ensure that essential minerals and nutrients are included in their diet. Garcia also added that there is a need for positive reinforcement in mitigating most of the unhealthy lifestyle of individuals. “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”.
For a more guided patient well-being on nutritional assessment, counseling, and personalized dietary management, get in touch with the Wellness and Nutrition Therapy Services at contact number 0928-2712717, (02) 8558-0888 local 4718, or email [email protected].