As mukbangs become increasingly popular, nutritionists are concerned about this internet trend

There's video after video of food influencers, some of whom have millions of followers on the platform, biting into foods of different textures on camera, the microphone capturing the sounds of their loud slurping and crunching. Some of the food combinations are unexpected and even unappetizing – but many people say they can't look away.

Given the growing popularity of mukbangs, nutritionists are expressing concern about the potential impact this trend may have on the audience.

According to Google Trends, the word “mukbang” began appearing more frequently in YouTube searches in early 2015 and hasn't stopped rising since then. However, in web searches outside the platform, the word peaked at the start of the global coronavirus pandemic in March 2020.

That may be because viewers are looking for a social connection, as if they were sitting across the table from the mukbang creator, says Grace Derocha, a registered dietitian from Michigan.

Kieanna, a mukbang creator who has been posting videos since October and already has over a million followers, says her most-viewed videos often show her eating foods that make ASMR-like sounds. (She declined to provide her last name because she doesn't use her full name on her mukbang social media accounts.)

Kieanna was introduced to the world of mukbangs as a viewer about eight years ago. She now records about three to five videos a week, often filming herself in her car sampling a wide variety of different menu items from popular restaurant chains or at home eating home-cooked dishes. She sometimes experiments with unusual foods, such as candy-coated pizza or candy-coated hot dogs, to create a crisp crunch for the microphone and a shocked reaction from her audience, she said.

“A lot of people just use it for entertainment,” she said. “Sometimes they just say the food looks good.”

A January 2020 study analyzing over 5,000 mukbang videos on YouTube found that the unhealthiest videos — in which someone eats too much in a short period of time or eats extremely spicy or irritating foods that may cause discomfort or harm — were viewed significantly more often than the less extreme videos.

“My first reaction was, 'Wow, that's a lot of food for one meal,'” said Derocha, who is also a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The foods are often “not exactly the most nutritious or healthy.”

Derocha expresses concern that the more extreme videos could lead some viewers to overeat, avoid certain foods or deprive their bodies of the nutrients they need.

A person with a restrictive eating disorder may use the videos to satisfy the feeling of eating without eating, says Suzanne Fisher, a Florida-based registered dietitian who works with patients trying to improve their relationship with food.

“I think a lot of it is almost voyeuristic in some ways, it almost romanticizes what it would be like to consume such large amounts of food,” Fisher said.

Viewers also don't know what's happening behind the camera, Fisher said. Some videos may be edited so that viewers think the food is being consumed, but the mukbang creator is actually spitting it out between takes, she added.

Kieanna said she tries to be transparent with her audience, letting people know in the comments section that she often doesn't eat all of the dishes shown and works out off-camera.

“There's a lot going on behind the scenes,” she said. “I think people should probably just use it for entertainment and not take it too seriously because at the end of the day, it's just social media. Social media isn't necessarily real, so you can't believe everything you see.”

Some mukbangs can have a positive impact, such as a video that inspires others to try a nutritious recipe, Derocha said. “It could be a source of inspiration for someone to break out of their usual routine and try something new.”

Rosemarie Dehesa is a content creator with over half a million followers on TikTok and has been posting videos of her cooking, eating and working out since 2022. Dehesa enjoys creating and posting the mukbangs as a way to connect with other people around the world who share a passion for food, she said.

“Food brings people together,” Dehesa said. “As long as the content is positive and entertaining, I don't think there's a problem.”

“People ask me, 'How do I stay so fit?' I just stay active all the time,” says Dehesa, who says she practices intermittent fasting, hits a daily step goal and works out nearly three hours a day. “I post it to be transparent and it's part of my life, you know, eating and working out. I love both.”

It's important to prioritize your own health goals, which may be different from those of the person on screen, Derocha said. Make sure you satisfy your appetite with a balanced mix of nutrient-dense foods and “fun foods” that you enjoy, she added.

“Everyone reacts differently to mukbangs,” says Alex D'Elia, a New York-based registered dietitian who specializes in the impact of diet on mental health.

“I think it ultimately comes down to the viewer's responsibility – to know what triggers them and to understand when something like that has become compulsive,” D'Elia added. “That's a warning sign that we need to pull back.”

D'Elia recommends practicing mindfulness, not only while watching the videos and noticing the feelings they evoke in you, but also while eating throughout the day. Try to observe the effects of different types of food on your mental well-being.

“If you feel tired or get restless throughout the day, check in with yourself. When was the last time I ate? What did I eat? Was it balanced?” D'Elia said. Use your check-ins as a guide to say, “OK, I feel like this when I eat this; let's see how I feel when I eat that.”

Many mukbangs offer fast food or fried food with a crispy texture that you can bite into for the camera. Fisher recommends that you try not to categorize food into “bad” and “good” options, as this could lead you to want to consume the supposedly “bad” foods in unhealthy amounts.

“I'm not saying you should eat fried foods at every meal, but don't demonize every single food that ends up on your plate. That's really important too,” Fisher said. “It's how you create a healthy balance in your life.”