More healthy eating, less mukbang: DOH asks food vloggers to use 'Pinggang Pinoy' as guide
Food vloggers, the Department of Health (DOH) is asking you to be responsible content creators.
On Monday, July 8, the government department urged food vloggers to encourage healthy eating to their viewers, asking them to refer to the "Pinggang Pinoy" as a guide when making videos.
According to DOH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo, it is important to promote a balanced diet, especially since July is National Nutrition Month.
"Maybe they could not eat too much or consume foods that are high in salt, fat, and sugar. It could be a Filipino version where we can use 'Pinggang Pinoy' as we talk to our followers. Maybe that's the way forward," Domingo said in an interview.
He continued, "When we say ‘Pinggang Pinoy,’ we are referring to ‘go, grow and glow’ foods."
"However, if we just consume ‘grow’ food like purely fried chicken – that is all meat and that would just be protein. At the same time, the plate one is supposed to use turns out to be (somehow the size of a) basin already, so the portion size is not right."
Domingo is referencing mukbang, a trend that began in South Korea where social media personalities binge large portions of food while engaging with their viewers online.
He explained that most mukbang videos typically only feature one type of food. To balance it out, a person should have "one-half of carbohydrate-rich food, one-fourth of food rich in protein and the other one-fourth portion should consist of fruits and vegetables."
Due to its "bad practice," the DOH said it is still assessing whether to ban mukbang videos or not.
“We need to look at the situation – what are the possible effects on how we eat, its effects to the viewers and those creating such videos… So a ban is not imposed immediately,” Domingo said, stressing that public health efforts shouldn't restrict someone's ability to express themselves freely.
“We don’t want public health to impinge on free speech—what makes a particular broadcast mukbang which is a threat to public health if that is established, or if it could just be a mere expression…, we have to look at it carefully,” said Domingo.
Health Secretary Ted Herbosa also said that such content will encourage viewers to overeat, which could lead to "hypertension, heart condition, non-communicable diseases and even heart attacks."
What is Pinggang Pinoy?
To empower Filipinos with healthy eating habits, the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, the DOH, the National Nutrition Council, and the World Health Organization collaborated on "Pinggang Pinoy." This visual tool "is a food guide using a food plate model to show the recommended portion by food group in every meal."
There are guides for Kids ages 3-12, Teens 13-18, Adults 19-59, Older Persons 60 years and above, and pregnant and lactating women.
“Go” foods like bread, rice, pasta, or oats, are packed with carbohydrates to keep you energized. “Grow” foods, on the other hand, are packed in proteins and they're usually found in beans, nuts, meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.
Finally, “Glow” foods, or fruits and vegetables, are rich in vitamins.
The plan to ban mukbang videos came after vlogger Dongz Apatan died of a stroke on June 14 after eating fried chicken. (with reports from Rhodina J. Villanueva)
