Many of us look forward to a nice takeaway on a Friday night, best enjoyed wearing your loosest jammy pants in front of the telly.
However, for 22-year-old vlogger Charna Rowley from London, takeaways are her bread and butter. Or indeed, her sweet and sour.
The former admin worker gave up traditional office work to focus on her eating challenges YouTube channel, chowing down on pretty much anything her fans request. Previous meals have included two extra large pizzas and sides, as well as a Chinese takeaway intended for a family of four.
You can watch Charna in action below:
Charna – who attempts two challenges each week – has high hopes of chomping her way to the top of the greasy food chain; becoming the UK’s first ever mukbang megastar.
For those unfamiliar with the world of competitive eating, mukbang is a trend where those with insatiable appetites film themselves eating food while interacting with their seemingly rapt audience.
However, after appearing on This Morning, Charna was given a frightening warning by Dr Zoe, who urged her to reconsider her stomach-defying ambitions should she want to live to a ripe old age.
Dropping some harsh truths, Dr Zoe cautioned the YouTuber that she was eating her way to an ‘early grave’:
It’s not just about the calories. It’s full of toxins. Having this much once a week, you are going to shorten your life and you are going to add a risk of disability.
There is no doubt about that you are going to have a negative effect on your health.
Dr Zoe also expressed concerns about the impact Charna’s channel could have on ‘young’ and ‘vulnerable’ viewers:
This is my biggest concern, I think your following is likely to be young people who are vulnerable and I think people will copy.
They may not be going to the gym, but also binge eating is a real problem, and it’s not a fun thing.
People who are binge eating aren’t happy, it’s a condition that’s filled with misery or sadness.
Responding to Dr Zoe’s worries, Charna stood her ground; arguing she was working towards achieving ‘balance’ with her challenges, which she regards to be a short-term project:
I wouldn’t say that I’m willing to get those kind of diseases. But I’m working on balance, to try and prevent them. I do know the health risk – I’m not saying I’m going to continue doing this for twenty years.
At the time of writing, Charna’s most popular video – boasting over 48,000 views – centres around her eating a Chinese takeaway containing more than 5,000 calories in one – no doubt uncomfortable – sitting.
NHS guidelines state the average woman should consume approximately 2,000 calories a day.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.