Association between watching eating broadcast "Mukbang and Cookbang" and body mass index status in South Korean adolescents stratified by gender

BACKGROUND

It has been suggested that Mukbang and Cookbang, a type of eating broadcast originating from Korea and gaining popularity, may contribute to obesity. However, despite suggestions that Mukbang might contribute to obesity, studies investigating the impact of watching Mukbang on obesity is lacking. The goal of this study is to analyze the relationship between watching Mukbang and Cookbang and body mass index (BMI) status in Korean adolescents. All analyses were stratified by gender.

METHODS

This study utilized data from the 2022 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Surveys. The anonymous online survey was conducted with 56,213 students, and 51,850 students (92.2%) who participated in the survey were analyzed. Participants reported the frequency of watching Mukbang and Cookbang per week over the previous 12 months. BMI was categorized into four subgroups based on percentiles: underweight (< 5th percentile), normal (5th - 85th percentiles), overweight (85th - 95th percentiles), and obese (> 95th percentile). This study used multinomial logistic regression for analysis.

RESULTS

The likelihood of being obese was significantly higher in Mukbang-watching boys compared to those who never watched Mukbang and Cookbang (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12-1.32). A dose-dependent association was found between the frequency of Mukbang and Cookbang watching and the likelihood of obesity among boys (p-for-trend < 0.0001). Subgroups that currently smoke, currently drink alcohol, frequently consume fast food, or drink sweetened beverages showed significantly higher odds of being obese in the "Ever" group than those in the "Never" group.

CONCLUSION

This study found a relationship between watching Mukbang and Cookbang and obesity in boys. Appropriate interventions should be considered for boys watching Mukbang and Cookbang.

The Relationship Between Watching Mukbang (Eating Show), Eating Behaviors, and Anthropometric Parameters in Iranian Female Students

BACKGROUND

With the increasing watching of programs such as Mukbang, the study of eating behaviors and anthropometric parameters and their relationship with Mukbang should be considered to prevent chronic diseases and eating disorders. This study investigated the relationship between watching Mukbang with eating behaviors and anthropometric parameters in female students at Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran.

STUDY DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

METHODS

In this study, 114 female students aged 18 to 31 years were selected using simple random sampling. General information, watching Mukbang status, and the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) were administered to the participants online.

RESULTS

The prevalence of Mukbang watching in female students of the present study was 60.5%. Furthermore, there was no significant relationship between the frequency of Mukbang watching and emotional or restrained eating behavior (P > 0.05), while there was a significant relationship between external eating behavior and the frequency of watching Mukbang (P=0.0001). It was found that with increasing watching time, external eating also increased. According to the results of logistic regression analysis, the external eating chance was 27% lower in students who watch Mukbang rarely than those who have never watched such a show. However, this chance was 0.31 and 9.58 times higher in students who occasionally and always watch Mukbang, respectively.

CONCLUSION

There is a significant relationship between external eating behaviors and watching Mukbang.

Compensatory Usage of the Internet: The Case of Mukbang Watching on YouTube

OBJECTIVE

Accumulating empirical research has emphasized that a wide range of online activities-such as using social networking sites-can be performed in order to compensate unattained needs or to cope with negative affect and psychopathological symptoms. Although the correlates of problematic social networking use have been extensively investigated, less is known about problematic YouTube use (PYU), an umbrella term grouping a number of different activities (e.g., viewing of online video games, watching specific YouTube channels). Furthermore, nothing is known concerning increasingly popular and distinct YouTube-related activities such as mukbang watching (i.e., watching livestream "eating broadcasts" where someone eats various foods in front of the camera while interacting with viewers). The aim of the present study was to examine the mediating role of problematic mukbang watching (PMW) on the relationships between depression and loneliness with PYU.

METHODS

An online survey that comprised assessment tools for aforementioned variables was administered to 217 mukbang viewers (mean age=20.58 years, range 18-33 years).

RESULTS

Results indicated that PMW was positively related to loneliness and PYU. Depression was positively and directly associated with PYU but was not associated with PMW.

CONCLUSION

Further research is required to better understand the psychological processes underlying problematic mukbang watching and its association with other mental health conditions (e.g., addictive disorders, eating disorders).

Digital Commensality: Eating and Drinking in the Company of Technology

Commensality is a key aspect of social dining. However, previous research has identified a number of pros and cons associated with the incorporation of digital technology into eating and drinking episodes. For instance, those who are distracted by digital technology may eat/drink more (that is, they may overconsume) as a result of their failure to attend to the food-related sensations that are thought to cue the termination of eating. Similarly, it has often been suggested that the use of mobile devices at mealtimes can disrupt the more commensal aspects of dining/drinking (at least among those who are physically present together). At the same time, however, looking to the future, it seems clear that digital technologies also hold the promise of delivering opportunities for enhanced multisensory experiential dining. For instance, they might be used to match the auditory, visual, or audiovisual entertainment to the eating/drinking episode (e.g., think only about watching a Bollywood movie while eating a home-delivery Indian meal, say). Indeed, given the growing societal problems associated with people dining by themselves, there are a number of routes by which digital technologies may increasingly help to connect the solo diner with physically co-located, remote, or even virtual dining partners. In this review of the literature, our focus is specifically on the role of technology in inhibiting/facilitating the more pleasurable social aspects of dining, what one might call "digital commensality." The focus is primarily on Westernized adults with reasonable access to, and familiarity with, digital technologies.