Food trends on TikTok are perpetuating a “toxic food culture” among teens, researchers warn.
A University of Vermont study found that the most popular videos related to nutrition and weight often portray “unrealistic and inaccurate images,” which can lead to eating disorders and negative body image. I have.
The findings, published in the journal PLOS One, are based on an analysis of the top 100 videos from 10 hashtags related to nutrition, food, and weight on TikTok, and when the study began in 2020, the All had over a billion plays.
Since then, the hashtag has grown as the app’s user base has grown.
Many of the popular videos glorify weight loss and position diet as a means to lose weight, says the study.
“Every day, millions of teens and young adults are served content on TikTok that depicts highly unrealistic and inaccurate images of food, nutrition and health,” said senior researcher Lizzie Pope. I’m here.
“A weight loss dead end TikTok can be a really tough environment, especially for young people, who are the platform’s primary users.”
“Surprising popularity” of weight-related videos
Professor Pope and co-author Marisa Minadeo, both avid TikTok users, wanted to explore how TikTok is being used as a resource for nutrition and diet information.
Young people are increasingly turning to TikTok for more than just a customized feed of videos, to search for specific terms they may have previously used the search engine for.
Earlier this year, Google’s senior vice president noted that “nearly 40%” of young people choose TikTok or Instagram to find places to grab lunch.
TikTok’s algorithm then continues to serve content similar to what users have expressed interest in, but researchers say users risk being “stuck” on certain topics and trends.
Minadeo said, “We were always amazed at how much weight was being talked about on TikTok.
“The fact that billions of people browsed weight content online says a lot about the role diet culture plays in our society.”
‘Young people must think about body image beyond social media’
A Vermont study found that none of those creating weight loss and nutrition content on TikTok “considered expert opinion.”
That means a doctor, nutritionist, or certified trainer.
The majority of creators in this space were white female teens and young adults.
“We must help young people develop critical thinking skills and their own body image outside of social media,” Pope said.
“But what we really need is a fundamental rethink of how we relate to our bodies, food and health.
“This is about changing the systems around us so that people can live productive, happy and healthy lives.”
