China said on Tuesday that consumers should "rationally resist bad content" of extreme eating shows, which have boomed online, because they cause "heartbreaking" food waste and spread "unhealthy" ideas about food.

Extreme eating shows in China have included people eating as many cups of instant noodles as possible, devouring dumplings and wolfing down hamburgers.

The statement from China's Consumer Association is the latest effort to curb people's appetite for online eating shows, which remain widely streamed in the world's second largest economy even after attempts to more tightly regulate the industry in 2020.

The shows attract hoards of followers who are keen to watch people consuming copious amounts of food, including very spicy dishes.

Some online platforms are "now full of extreme eating shows, which use the food intake that challenges the physiological limits of human beings," the statement said.

"Not only does it seriously deviate from the true connotation of food culture, but it also causes heartbreaking food waste."

The shows trample on China's traditional virtues of

diligence and thrift, the association added, and also spread "unhealthy and irrational" ideas about eating that could harm young people.

"Every porridge and every meal should be thought of as hard-earned," it said.

China in 2020 strengthened regulation and banned clips that promoted food waste. It passed a law in 2021 to combat food waste while last year authorities also unveiled an action plan to boost food production while reducing waste.

The association urged consumers not to follow, like, or forward extreme eating shows and actively block related accounts or channels.

Show creators must refuse waste and not plan, produce, or publish extreme eating content, it said.

"The focus of creation should be shifted to exploring the cultural connotation of the true nature of food."The statement comes a week after Beijing ordered some civil servants not to dine out in groups of more than three after deaths linked to excessive alcohol consumption at banquets.

China is also battling rising obesity, particularly among children, after physical activity dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic and people ordered more fast food online.

(Reuters)

China tries to shift appetite for extreme eating shows