DOH rethinks ‘mukbang’ ban, pushes healthier food videos

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MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) will not immediately issue a ban on the showing of “mukbang” videos online while it studies whether these promote unhealthy eating habits.

For now, it has asked social media influencers and vloggers to create food-related content based on the healthier “Pinggang Pinoy” food guide instead of just showing themselves consuming excessive amounts of food.

In a television interview on Monday, DOH spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said they wanted to ensure that the proposed regulation of mukbang videos would not infringe on content creators’ right to freedom of speech and expression.

READ: DOH eyes ‘mukbang’ ban after food vlogger’s death

“First, we have to resolve what makes a particular mukbang broadcast a threat to public health, because the video may just be a form of self-expression. We have to make sure that our policy will be airtight, so that it will not be challenged before the courts should we implement this ban,” he added.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa earlier proposed a ban on the showing of such videos in the country after popular mukbang vlogger Dongz Apatan died on June 14 due to a stroke. The day before his death, he posted videos of himself eating a huge pile of fried chicken. He later suffered a stroke and lapsed into a coma before passing away.

According to Herbosa, mukbang promotes overeating, which can lead to obesity, which puts people at risk for noncommunicable diseases, hypertension and heart attack.

The DOH is already investigating if Apatan’s mukbang activities contributed to his death.

Online connection

Domingo said they were not only looking at the impact of these videos on people’s eating habits but also the reason why Filipinos watch them.

“Based on our preliminary research, some international analysts say mukbang videos become viral because they resolve the loneliness of some people. Watching mukbang makes people feel they are sharing food with other people, and since these are usually livestreamed, viewers are also able to talk with the creators,” he explained.

Domingo suggested instead that vloggers create videos using food “which are not excessive in quantity, and also not high in salt, fat and sugar.”

“It can actually be a Filipino version using Pinggang Pinoy, and they are still able to talk with their audience. Maybe that’s the way forward,” he said.

Developed by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Pinggang Pinoy is a food guide that uses a food plate model to show the recommended proportion by food group in every meal to meet the body’s energy and nutrient needs.