Parents criticized for involving 3-year-old, 35 kg girl in mukbang

In China, a couple is facing harsh public criticism for involving their three-year-old daughter in consuming massive amounts of food in front of the camera.

In the widely popular internet trend known as mukbang, bloggers consume large quantities of food in front of the camera, showcasing the process as content for viewers. Regarded as one of the most controversial internet phenomena of the 21st century, this trend has not only drawn criticism for the excessive waste of food for entertainment purposes, but also poses serious health risks and, in some cases, has been linked to the deaths of mukbang bloggers.

Because of this, the fact that parents involved their three-year-old child in such content sparked outrage among numerous internet users.

Earlier this month, Chinese media reported on the case of a three-year-old girl known by the pseudonym “Peixi”. According to reports, her parents turned her into the star of mukbang content, filming her eating various dishes and posting the videos on social networks.

In the captions of videos posted on Douyin — a platform similar to TikTok in China — Peixi's parents used phrases like “3-year-old 66-pound (33-kilogram) chubby girl” and “incredible appetite.”

The videos showed the girl being fed high-calorie foods such as fried chicken and fatty meat. The process of consuming these foods was largely filmed to provide entertaining content for her followers.

When the girl's weight reached 35 kilograms, members of the public expressed serious concern and confronted her parents. Internet users asked the couple to stop the mukbang videos.

However, the parents defended their actions. They stated that when Peixi was born, she weighed 4.5 pounds, or about 2.25 kilograms, and that their daughter simply had a good appetite.

The couple denied forcing their daughter to eat. They also stated that the money earned through the videos barely covered food expenses.

As public pressure intensified, video platforms blocked Peixi's accounts. Following this, her parents also deleted their social media accounts.

The issue of involving children in social media content

The case involving Peixi has once again drawn attention to the practice of using minors on Chinese social networks to increase engagement and view counts.

In recent years, types of content featuring children have been expanding, ranging from mukbang and prank videos to promoting various products through them.

The involvement of minors in such content makes the protection of their interests, safety, and rights an urgent issue. Peixi's case has once again intensified debates about the consequences that can arise from using children to create content on social media.