'Eating hosts' providing a visual feast for viewers

Vicarious living

While many viewers feel the urge to eat more, those on diets "eat" vicariously through the hosts.

Yan Yuying, a foodie from Yushu, Jilin province, said it is a marvel that the young male and female hosts remain slender, despite constantly eating enormous amounts of food. To stay slim, Yan only eats three pieces of her favorite braised pork with soy sauce a day.

The 30-year-old accountant said her work is repetitive, so she pursues pleasure and life goals after work. One of her ambitions is to become beautiful by losing weight.

"I like to watch the hosts eat large chunks of braised meat, especially when I am on a diet and feeling hungry. That makes me feel full along with the hosts in the video. It sounds like self-torture, but it does work," she said.

Though Sun, the writer, always has lunch, she usually skips dinner and eats vicariously through online hosts.

"Most hosts chat while they eat. They describe the taste of the food and explain recipes and ingredients. It's a gratifying visual experience, and it is as if I am also enjoying the meal," she said.