Popular eating and food challenge videos across social media are saturated with messages that could promote disordered eating and unrealistic body standards, new research reveals.

Led by Flinders University PhD Candidate Phoebe Wu, the study analysed 180 high-engagement videos across YouTube, TikTok and Chinese video sharing site Bilibili, finding consistent patterns in their portrayal of food consumption and body appearance.

“Over the last ten years we have seen a rise in popularity of eating challenge videos across social media, ranging from spicy food challenges to excessive consumption clips known as mukbangs,” said Ms Wu, from Flinders’ Caring Futures Institute and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

“These videos are watched by millions of viewers around the world, so it’s important we understand how audiences engage with them and how it impacts their views on food consumption and body image.”

Content trends

Conducting the first content analysis of its kind across video-sharing platforms, the team looked at what types of food were being consumed and how, the body types of the hosts, alongside analysing the comments and interactions of the viewers.

They found that nearly three-quarters of the videos depicted overeating, with many also showcasing potentially dangerous behaviours such as eating extremely spicy or sugary foods or eating excessive amounts of food in a short time frame.

Despite this, almost half of the videos featured thin-bodied hosts, with Bilibili videos most likely to add appearance-enhancing filters.

“Viewers are frequently watching individuals – especially young, thin hosts – consume large quantities of food without apparent consequences,” said Ms Wu.

“This can send confusing and potentially harmful messages about eating habits and body image, including the suggestion of encouraging binge eating and purging to maintain a slim build.”

Similarities across the three platforms included mukbang (where a host eats a large quantity of food while interacting with the audience or providing commentary) being the most popular type of video, a high proportion of thin or average sized bodies and a propensity to show savoury more than sweet dishes.

However, clear differences across the platforms emerged, with YouTube most likely to depict extreme eating behaviours, while TikTok videos often involved younger, female hosts, and were shorter in length with less food consumed.

Mindfulness needed

The authors say while more research is needed, the study raises important questions about how social media platforms regulate content related to food, health, and body image, especially for younger audiences.

“We were able to see that these videos are highly engaged with and have the potential to negatively impact viewers’ eating behaviour and body image and we need to be mindful of the impact should their popularity continue,” said Ms Wu.

The paper, ‘“Mind your figure! Watch, but don’t eat”: A content analysis of eating and appearance-related messages in eating videos on social media’ is published in the journal Body Image.