'Eating hosts' providing a visual feast for viewers

Problem solver

Gao Yuanyuan, a 31-year-old manicurist in Beijing, had eating disorders for several years. She is convinced that watching muk-bang helped solve her problem.

"I used to spend five or six hours a day watching 'big stomach kings' (renowned online eaters) tucking into stir-fried squid or hot pot. It usually made me feel hungry, so I ordered the same takeout and ate along with them," she said.

"Now I don't have eating disorders. However, I quit watching the broadcasts because I was afraid I might not be able to control my appetite and I would eat too much."

As a former muk-bang fan, Gao has one strict requirement for hosts－they must have good table manners.

"More is not necessarily better. I don't like hosts gobbling up food or getting sauce all over their mouths. That's dirty and unattractive," she said.

Sun Ying, a 32-year-old writer from Suifenhe, Heilongjiang province, said she watches eating broadcasts for the attractive images, and, more important, to enjoy the sounds made by the hosts as they eat.

"I usually watch the short videos at night. The sound of the hosts eating makes me feel relaxed. I like the noise a pretty girl makes when she is crunching pickled radish," she said.

Sun's workplace doesn't have a canteen, and she has trouble choosing restaurants for lunch. To solve her problem, she watches the most recent videos of her eating idols and follows suit.

"It is tiring to decide what to eat every day, especially when I am busy with work. So I find inspiration in the videos, and my appetite has really improved. Now, eating is more interesting than before, because I have higher expectations and more respect for food," she said.