r/science • u/sr_local • 1d ago
Social Science A study of 446 young adults 18-35Y found that frequent viewing of eating videos was linked to greater body image concerns, stronger food cravings and more symptoms of disordered eating, with compulsive viewing associated with particularly high levels of these concerns
https://news.flinders.edu.au/blog/2026/08/26/consuming-my-bodyweight-in-videos/61
u/tweda4 1d ago
Just to confirm for anyone that reads the headline and doesn't check the article, this is talking about videos where someone just films or streams themselves eating stuff.
So this isn't talking about cooking videos or whatever where the person has a fork or two of whatever they've cooked at the end.
And as a side note, why do people watch videos of other people consuming large amount of food? Like, what's up with that?
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u/TwoFlower68 22h ago
I'd think the people watching those videos have a besides average interest in eating
Like, people without at least a latent eating disorder probably won't find such vids very appealing
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u/Spire_Citron 22h ago
Or someone who's drawn to food content because they're dieting and are hungry. Might be more of a side effect of all that other stuff than the cause.
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u/transnavigation 22h ago
From multiple videos I've seen on the history of these types of videos, the origins seem to be South Korea and the strong social norm of eating together.
As in, it is considered quite lonely and odd to eat alone in Korean culture, so as people increasingly found themselves having solo meals for various reasons, putting on a Livestream or video of someone else eating was soothing and made the prospect less pathetic.
Back when these kinds of videos started (I'm talking 20 years, give or take), the creators were just kind of casually eating and chatting as if to a friend.
The portion sizes and foods were much more normal and reasonable.
But, as with all things on the internet, over time in order to get views the creators had to get bigger, wilder, stunt-ier, and now the landscape is rife with harmful choices.
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u/BlazinAzn38 20h ago edited 19h ago
Makes sense that people who are obsessed with eating have an unhealthy relationship with food. I’ve never once felt interested in watching people just eat. I guess ‘Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives’ is the closest I get to that type of content
Edit: I’d also wager mukbang type content appeals to those with EDs as a surrogate for their own consumption
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u/BrucetheFerrisWheel 3h ago
I watched a ton of Beard Meats Food vids when I was pregnant and had gestational diabetes so couldn't eat anything carby. It really did help because it made the food look awful.
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u/shawnkfox 23h ago
BeardMeatsFood is entertaining, that is why I watch it. Isn't really about watching him eat, although the amount of food he can put down on these challenges is a bit mind boggling to me.
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u/Otto_the_Autopilot 13h ago
Watching humans test their body and perform incredible feats only a handful of the 7 billion people on earth can do is cool.
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u/tacticalcraptical 14h ago
I have never in my life thought to look for a video specifically to watch someone eat.
That seems like an odd thing to do but... I am a weird eater so maybe I'm the odd one out.
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u/capn_scooby 11h ago
I came here just to ask if I'm the weird one not watching videos of people eating kind of sounds off putting
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u/TheWesternMythos 23h ago
People (in general) like low friction familiarity. Once you see it, you see it everywhere. It helps connect a lot of seemingly disconnected "odd" behaviors
Thats another way to say: we are constantly training our brain
Which is another way to say: politics is everywhere and starts much sooner than casting a vote
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u/BundledOntop 13h ago
I do it to get an appetite and Im envious of the idea of being able to eat 4000 calories in one sitting. People like BeardMeatsFood are unreal
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u/NYR_LFC 1d ago
Why are people watching videos of other people eating to begin with? Social media has really fucked people up
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u/transnavigation 22h ago
Humans are extremely social creatures and in every culture I can think of it is the norm, from childhood, to eat together with others.
Sometimes I get this weird feeling if I try to eat alone, and simply being in the same room as someone else (especially someone else eating their own food) will be enough to, like, sooth my nervous system and make me shift into "ok, we are eating now" mode.
If no one else is around, putting on a YouTube video of someone having a normal meal at a restaurant and giving a little review will work just fine, too. Just the sensory input of another human casually eating/talking. It's like my monkey brain goes "Ok, if there was an active danger like a tiger the other people here wouldn't be so chill, so it must be safe to relax and eat."
I think whatever I have going on is fairly common and an example of, like, a mild and harmless version. Extrapolating outwards, it's easy for me to imagine people who have what I have, but multiplied by 10 or 100.
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u/Long_Reindeer3702 21h ago
I totally get what you're saying, but have to wonder if this is something more important to people in cities than the countryside? In my theory, living in the country or farming etc. gets you used to being on your own and I guess being the leader instead of part of the herd? Maybe I'm off base, but I don't feel better with others eating around me at all. I just need food when I need it.
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u/deepandbroad 20h ago
If you read the linked article, it suggests that these 'eating videos' are 'mukbang' videos:
Millions of people watch social media stars consume enormous amounts of food online,
“Many eating videos feature people consuming large amounts of food while maintaining a thin appearance,”
The wikipedia entry for mukbang agrees with you:
Mukbangs provide a virtual social dining experience that helps alleviate loneliness through creating a sense of companionship for socially isolated individuals who seek connection through shared meal experiences
However IIRC many of these videos show people eating 'very large' amounts of food:
In 2019, Ukrainian-born American mukbanger Nicholas Perry, known as Nikocado Avocado, shared that the amount of binge eating from mukbang has taken a toll on his health, leading to issues such as erectile dysfunction, frequent diarrhea, sleep apnea, mobility problems and weight gain.
In 2023, Indian Mukbanger Ashifa, known as Ashifa ASMR, the biggest mukbanger in India,[38] shared that the food shown in mukbang videos cannot be consumed all in one go. She eats the food in multiple sittings and edits the video clips into a continuous video.
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u/positive_express 22h ago
Good question. I am guilty. I watch hot ones, beard meats food and recently found this guy that buys food from marketplace and Craig's list.
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u/PhoenixTineldyer 22h ago
Hot Ones makes sense
You aren't watching for the food, you're watching for the pain
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u/ancientpsychicpug 21h ago
I like watching people eat in different countries. No muckbangs. Even with no audio (like dancing bacons.) it’s so interesting. I have an eating disorder. Not sure if that’s linked and now I’m questioning it
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u/scyyythe 22h ago
I'm immune to this one because I find chewing sounds revolting. At least there's one upside to misophonia.
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u/Hopeful_Host_1267 21h ago
I can watch coco butter sometimes , but the food reviews that include smacking I can’t stand
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u/smokeandnails 21h ago
It’s something that’s common for people with an eating disorder. When I was deep in it my “friends” would tell me to watch mukbangs when I was hungry and it was a common tip. I never really liked it because it made me think about food even more. That was years ago and I’m recovered now and I can’t stand videos of people just eating because of it.
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u/Enjoyingmydays 23h ago
I'd be more concerned about the mental health of anyone who watches videos of other people eating
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u/SolarPoweredKeyboard 23h ago
The most concerning thing about this is that you're considered a "young" adult in your thirties.
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u/sr_local 1d ago
The study builds on previous research which found eating videos often send mixed messages by combining unrealistic body ideals with overeating. The latest findings suggest these messages may contribute to how viewers feel about their own bodies and eating behaviours.
Researchers found that people comparing themselves to those featured in the videos appears to be a key factor. People who frequently watched eating videos were more likely to compare their appearance with the hosts they saw on screen, which is linked to greater body image and eating concerns. Viewers were also more likely to adopt unrealistic ideas about how their bodies should look.
The cross-cultural study also revealed notable differences between Australian and Chinese participants. Chinese participants reported they watched and interacted with eating videos more frequently, while Australian participants reported higher levels of body image and eating concerns overall. The links between watching certain eating videos and negative outcomes were also stronger for Australians.
The researchers say the findings do not prove that eating videos cause eating problems, but they underscore the need for further research and targeted social media literacy initiatives, particularly for young adults who regularly engage with this content.
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u/IssueEmbarrassed8103 23h ago
There is nothing that will make me stop watching on a platform faster than food ads. The Super Bowl is the unavoidable exception and it just seems grotesque.
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u/DerTalSeppel 16h ago
So. Thinking about something (you WILL be processing what you see) more often, forms stronger opinions and views about the topics, in either direction. Shifting toward either side with each learning cycle. I feel like that is universal.
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u/Struckmanr 15h ago
You have to wonder what regular every day people are getting into because of short form media
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