Mukbang: How Binge Eating Became Big Money | Undercover Asia

With 2 million videos, and 247 thousand creators, Mukbang eating videos are a South Korean phenomenon that has gone global.
Ordinary people film themselves slurping, chewing, inhaling - often vast amounts of food. And hundreds of millions tune in. But while politicians praise Mukbang in India, and government agencies support Mukbang videos in South Korea, China banned Mukbang videos in 2021.
Just why have such seemingly innocuous eating videos gotten politicians involved?
Watch more Undercover Asia: • Undercover Asia | Full...
==========
About Undercover Asia 10: CNA's award-winning investigative series Undercover Asia uncovers the hard truths in the underbelly of Asia, and exposes the unintended fallout of change in the fast-moving continent.
================
#CNAInsider #CNAInvestigates #UndercoverAsiaCNA #Mukbang #SouthKorea
For more, SUBSCRIBE to CNA INSIDER
cna.asia/insideryoutubesub
Follow CNA INSIDER on:
Instagram: / cnainsider
Facebook: / cnainsider
Website: cna.asia/cnainsider

[@yunese5292]

Mukbangs started off as a way for lonely people to connect and share a meal with someone. It's not disgusting or degenerate to watch mukbangs, and people here are really missing the point. It's just sad what it has become today considering how it started.

[@user-kys673]

mukbangs helped me through a really hard time. my whole life i've been struggling with emetophobia which made me have chronic fears of food poisoning. sometimes i would go a full day without eating just to avoid potentially eating something bad and getting sick. this created an unhealthy relationship with food and an eating disorder. seeing other people enjoy food and being fine after eating it made me develop love for food again and minimize my fear of eating. i'm thankful to mukbangs.

[@bapuyu]

i've known about mukbang since at least 2014 by complete accident but the thing is it was just random women, usually cute girls, eating casually while chatting with a bunch of lonely people who didn't have anyone to socialize with while they ate, and has since corrupted into this insane food eating competition. If you're livestreaming and just eating regular food like you would any other day and chatting with an audience, you are technically doing mukbang. I hate what it's become. I'm not interested in seeing people gorge themselves on massive quantities of food, I avoid food competitions for that sole reason.

[@sneakyninja05]

Kudos to this video. I love how they were able to provide a social analysis about mukbang culture and society

[@JiaRuAu]

As an international student, I always put on a mukbang video while I eat because food always tastes better with company.

[@zara4529]

I used to watch Mukbang videos and realized that it had a psychological impact on me, so I began consuming junk food more often. After I started watching, I discover that whenever I'm shopping or in a restaurant, the idea, image, or thought of grabbing the junk food is the first thing that comes to mind. I don't have a sweet tooth and don't often consume any kind of sweets, but I've noticed that when I'm in a bakery, I don't hesitate to get some just by imagining those Mukbangers who eat cakes, cookies, or chocolate bars greedily.

[@Erik_Emer]

It’s the huge quantities of foods that really disgust me. I would hope that someone like Divya can spread the food with friends or family as to not risk her own health, especially since mukbang is about not feeling lonely anymore.

[@fyeelessarndra3392]

let's all return to the original mukbang, where we just eat a normal portion of food while interracting with the audience, like how a family eats dinner at the table...

[@SanC224]

Is it just me or whenever India is introduced, a typical instrumental music always plays in the background? I want to listen to Chinese and Korean traditional music too XD

[@user-fd5qx9hr6q]

previously, I had problems finishing even one proper meal a day so by forcing myself to sit down with mukbang videos for 20 minutes where others are eating helped me to restore normal, regular eating habits.

[@younghokim1994]

Aejeong is so cute and she seems like such a sweetheart. Glad she is able to support her mom! And I like the girl that lost weight, she has such a husky voice it's awesome.

[@odessa_japan]

The sheer amount of food the mukbangers consume makes me so sick and makes me feel like throwing up. This documentary is a great eye opener. Kudos to the people behind this documentary.

[@maya-db3gv]

Been watching mukbang for years. But I mainly follow those mukbangers that eat reasonable amounts of food (eg. sas asmr, minee eats). The videos actually help me eat and the asmr sounds like non-excessive slurping and chewing puts me to sleep sometimes. I’ve also learnt a lot about other culture’s food and am more opened to try various types of food.

[@user-jw6ut9rb1g]

Mukbangs have helped me to eat well like them!! And I’m really grateful for that. I had problems with eating so I’ve been watching (and continue watching) them to feel okay and eat in a right way

[@kalmage136]

Mukbang weren’t originally so competitive or extreme or global. It’s not sad or pathetic but people worked different hours of work & lived alone. Since they couldn’t have a meal with family or someone to share with. They connected with the mukbang content creators cause it fills the void, to eat your own meal, & see they enjoy a meal as well. As if you’re there with them. There’s different kinds of mukbang, some will talk, and some won’t talk, regardless South Korean mukbang content creators are usually respectful, & clean eaters.

[@RayMak]

Mukbang is a lot of money. Restaurants are happy to provide food too. And microphone companies are doing super well.

[@Shy-xm4kn]

Mukbangs always grossed me out so I use to watch them to keep myself from eating. I can’t stand hearing people chewing/slurping and seeing them get sauce all over their face/hands.

[@maanbustamante]

i always watch mukbang videos when i crave for something but can't eat it because it's midnight lol. so i eat it whenever possible just to satisfy my cravings. but i only watch certain content creators like Hamzy, i don't like other videos wherein their eyes are about to fall out due to binge eating

[@ayo3850]

honestly the only mukbang i watch is tzuyang cuz she shows the restaurant and also like is so nice to all the store owners and is always so thin no matter how much she eats and is so graceful when eating it all.

[@iseeflowers]

Not sure why people like watching other eating and this became so popular. People used to hate hearing the sound of people eating, slurping and chewing so loud.