Frequent Exposure to 'This' on YouTube Is Harmful... "Warning Message Needed Before Viewing" [Kok! Health]

A recent study has found that frequently watching mukbang and cookbang videos during adolescence, which have been spreading through platforms like YouTube, may increase the likelihood of developing unhealthy eating habits such as frequent consumption of fast food, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), and high-caffeine drinks.

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Researchers led by Professors Shin Jaeyong and Park Euncheol from the Yonsei University Institute for Health Policy and Management recently announced findings that adolescents who watched mukbang and cookbang videos at least once a week were more likely to consume these foods compared to those who did not.

This study was conducted based on data from the 18th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey (KYRBS) in 2022, which included a total of 50,451 middle and high school students. The main purpose of the research was to investigate the impact of watching mukbang and cookbang videos on adolescents' health-related behaviors, particularly the consumption of unhealthy foods.

The researchers classified participants into high-exposure groups (watching at least once a week) and low-exposure groups (watching less than three times a month or not at all) according to their frequency of watching mukbang and cookbang videos. They then examined the frequency of fast food, sugar-sweetened beverage, and high-caffeine beverage consumption during the seven days prior to the survey participation.

As a result, the high-exposure group showed a higher probability of consuming these foods compared to the low-exposure group. Based on the odds ratio (OR) for the likelihood of more frequent consumption compared to the low-exposure group, male students had ORs of 1.37 for fast food, 1.42 for sugar-sweetened beverages, and 1.30 for high-caffeine beverages. This means that frequent exposure to mukbang and cookbang videos increased the probability of consuming fast food by 37% compared to those less exposed. Female students also showed ORs of 1.46 for fast food, 1.51 for sugar-sweetened beverages, and 1.24 for high-caffeine beverages, indicating that watching mukbang and cookbang videos increased the likelihood of consuming these foods regardless of gender.

Subgroup analysis revealed that this effect was more pronounced in younger adolescents. The odds ratios for fast food consumption in the high-exposure group were 1.53 for male middle school students and 1.55 for female middle school students, whereas for high school students, the ORs were 1.21 and 1.36 respectively, showing an age-related difference.

The researchers emphasized that mukbang and cookbang programs differ from typical cooking education programs or food advertisements because they often depict consuming large quantities of food or unhealthy foods to attract viewers' attention. They explained that mukbang and cookbang can induce unhealthy eating habits such as overeating, which may have long-term negative effects on adolescents' health. They also expressed concern that adolescents may not yet have sufficient understanding of food and could be influenced by the content of the videos they consume and their peers' eating behaviors.

Joo Minjung, the first author of the study, stated, "Just as apps that could harm vulnerable groups are screened during the registration process in app markets, similar regulations are needed for video streaming services." She added, "Interventions such as inserting warning messages before watching mukbang videos are necessary to promote healthy eating habits among adolescents, and active viewing education related to this should also be conducted at home and in schools."

This study was conducted by Professors Shin Jaeyong and Park Euncheol, Researcher Joo Minjung, and researchers Kim Danbi, Go Jisoo, and Lim Jaehyuk. It was published in the SCI-level academic journal Nutrition Journal.