Food videos on social media now send hundreds of people to a single eatery, yet they rarely say anything about what the food contains or what eating it often might mean for health. Health experts say that since such content is changing eating habits, viewers should also get the relevant health information.
Videos of large portions at low prices are the most popular. Mizanur Rahman, known as "Viral Mizan", became widely known after a YouTube video of his eatery in Agargaon, Dhaka, which sells rice with beef for Tk 100, with chicken for Tk 80 and with egg for Tk 60. Other videos promote basmati biryani for Tk 99 or kacchi for Tk 130.
Dr Tasnim Sanwar, chief quality control officer at the Institute of Public Health, said food content usually dwells on taste, price and quantity, and very seldom on what regular eating might do to health. "This does not mean food bloggers have to be doctors," she said. "It means putting the information people need in their hands so they can make their own decisions."
Research points the same way. A 2025 review in BMJ Global Health examined 36 studies of how social media and online food marketing affect children and adolescents, most of them from high-income countries. Another study of 8,871 videos by popular US TikTok influencers found food, drinks or supplements in 1,360, and 58 percent of the foods shown could be considered unhealthy.
Food and nutrition specialist Dr Farzana Wahab said calling a food tasty or good value is different from calling it healthy. A health claim should rest on nutrition science, she said, and any nutrition or medical information a creator gives should be checked.
Some creators agree. Mir Raihan Masud of "Raihanism Travel and Food", a former BBC Bangla journalist, said many people in Bangladesh suffer from diet-related illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes, so bloggers who reach large audiences carry a responsibility, including saying whether a dish is heavy in salt, sugar or oil.
Mukta Akter, a Dhaka University student, said not every dish needs a warning, but key facts would help viewers decide with their eyes open. The report is by Susmita Munshi.
Photo: Faizul Latif Chowdhury / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: Bangla Tribune
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