Chinese restaurant apologises for weighing customers before ordering

A restaurant in Changsha, China, has apologised after being accused of “fat-shaming” customers.

The Chuiyan Fried Beef restaurant recently instituted a controversial policy where it asked customers to weigh themselves before ordering their meals, Japan Times reported.

Customers were asked to stand on scales and scan their data into an app that recommended food choices based on their weight and the dishes' calorific value.

BBC reported that the policy was a response to a new national campaign against food waste in China and was put in place after President Xi Jinping urged Chinese to stop wasting food, as the coronavirus pandemic had led to a rise in food prices.

The publication also reported that Chinese officials have waged war against viral binge-eating videos, known as “Mukbang”.

The viral videos, popular on YouTube and Instagram, see hosts binge-eating their favourite food while talking about topics of their choice. It has become a popular trend among many SA YouTubers.

After receiving major backlash on Chinese social platform Weibo over its policy, Chuiyan Fried Beef issued an apology.

In the statement, shared by CNN, the restaurant said people were not forced to step on the scales.

“Our original intentions were to advocate stopping waste and ordering food in a healthy way. We never forced customers to weigh themselves. Customers are welcome to come to the store to experience it and give their comments and suggestions.”