DOH suggests vloggers to use 'Pinggang Pinoy' as guide in 'mukbang' videos

Amid its review whether to ban “mukbang” in the country or not, the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday advised content creators to use the “Pinggang Pinoy” as food guide while doing their eating vlogs.

DOH spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo made the suggestion pending the results of the investigation into the death of vlogger Dongz Apatan last month.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa earlier said he may issue a ban on mukbang videos if it is confirmed that Apatan’s death is linked to mukbang or overeating.

“Baka naman pwede ‘yung kinakain hindi excessive, hindi high in salt, fat, and sugar. It can actually be a Filipino version na gawin nating Pinggang Pinoy, tapos nakikipagusap tayo sa ating kababayan. Maybe that’s the way forward,” Domingo said in an Unang Balita interview.

(Maybe they could just not eat excessively or not eat foods that are high in salt, fat, and sugar. It can actually be a Filipino version where we use Pinggang Pinoy as we talk to our viewers. Maybe that's the way forward.)

According to the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Pinggang Pinoy is a food guide which 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.

“Pinggang Pinoy serves as a visual tool to help Filipinos adopt healthy eating habits at meal times by delivering effective dietary and healthy lifestyle messages,” FNRI said.

The FNRI developed Pinggang Pinoy in collaboration with the DOH, World Health Organization (WHO), and National Nutrition Council (NNC).

Domingo said there are a lot of factors to consider before totally banning mukbang videos in the country, such as the dietary aspects, as well as the mental health conditions of the people who watch these contents online.

“Sa aming preliminary research this weekend, apparently kaya siya (mukbang) sumikat kasi maraming feelings of loneliness na mukhang nare-resolve kapag nanonood sila ng isang mukbanger kasi feeling mo nakikikain ka,” the Health official said.

(Based on our preliminary research this weekend, apparently mukbang became famous because there are feelings of loneliness that seem to be resolved when viewers watch a mukbanger because they feel like they’re eating with the vlogger.) 

Herbosa had said that studies showed that watching similar videos could lead to eating disorders or internet addiction.

He also warned that mukbang could cause obesity and could lead to hypertension, heart conditions, non-communicable diseases, and even heart attacks.

“It’s a bad practice because people make content by overeating. Overeating is not healthy. It will lead to obesity," the Health secretary said.

Vlogger Dongz Apatan, a well-known mukbang vlogger from Iligan City with over 400,000 followers on Facebook, suffered a stroke on June 14 after eating fried chicken. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News