YouTube cuts ad money on binge-eating videos

In September, a wave of Korean eating creators reported that YouTube had shut off ad revenue on their channels. The creator Salbbaejo, with about 440,000 subscribers, said monetization had been suspended. DietJo, with more than 400,000, reported the same. A creator called Miso deleted more than 300 videos, over half of the channel, after talks with YouTube.

The trigger was YouTube's enforcement of its eating-disorder guidelines. The platform first expanded those rules in 2023. They restrict ads on content showing behaviors such as binge eating, extreme food hoarding, severe calorie restriction and repeated weight-loss cycles that viewers could imitate.

"No longer the trend"

The comment that got the most attention came from Tzuyang, one of Korea's biggest mukbang hosts with more than 10 million subscribers. Filming at Sinpo International Market in Incheon, she told viewers that eating a lot is apparently no longer the trend, and said she would become a YouTuber who eats in moderation.

Korean outlets did not report Tzuyang or fellow star Heebab as demonetized. But both built their channels on exactly the kind of huge-table videos now under review.

Eatletes analysis: does this reach challenge creators?

This section is our opinion.

YouTube says it is targeting behavior, not meals. That distinction matters for the restaurant-challenge world. A BeardMeatsFood or Randy Santel video has a restaurant, posted rules, a clock, a prize and a wall of fame. It looks like a sporting event, not a binge at a kitchen table.

Still, the line is drawn by YouTube's reviewers, not by creators. Channels that lean on calorie counts in titles, or on at-home "eat everything" videos, have more to lose. Brands that sponsor eating content will be watching this closely. The safest place for a sponsor is the sport side: contests, records, and challenges with rules and referees.