Experts Warn of the Dangers of ‘SkinnyTok’

If you’ve spent any time scrolling through TikTok (or any social media platform for that matter) lately, you’ve probably come across content promoting fitness, diets, or “what I eat in a day” videos. Sounds harmless right? While some of these videos can be motivational or educational especially if posted by nutritionists or dietitians, there’s a darker corner of social media that health experts are becoming more concerned: “SkinnyTok.” 

SkinnyTok is a growing collection of videos that glorifies extreme thinness, often under the guise of wellness. Per the New York Post, these videos are “pushing extreme weight loss tactics, restrictive eating, and toxic ‘discipline’” to thinness. Experts say the impact, especially on younger and impressionable viewers, can be dangerous. 

The Post also reported about some of the slogans that “read like parodies of self-harm,” including: “If your stomach is growling, pretend it’s applauding you” or “To be small, eat small. To be big, eat big.” 

Internal medicine specialist Dr. Asim Cheema told Forbes that the trend is raising serious medical concerns. These include promoting the idea that feeling hungry is a sign your body is burning fat, rather than a normal biological signal; viewing food only as fuel, rather than something to be enjoyed or shared socially; encouraging dangerous practices like eating only once a day; suppressing hunger with coffee, water, or other fluids; and framing these behaviors as “wellness practices” instead of recognizing them as “disordered eating patterns.” 

Stephen Buchwald, managing director of Manhattan Mental Health Counseling, warned of the dangers of SkinnyTok, especially with younger people, who are often scrolling on their phones and are exposed to this type of dangerous content on a regular basis. Buchwald said, “Adolescents are neurologically wired to seek approval and belonging, which makes them especially vulnerable to trends like ‘SkinnyTok.’ When their social validation is tied to appearance and thinness, it creates a harmful psychological feedback loop that can shape their self-worth well into adulthood.” 

Dietitian Andrea Mathis tells TODAY.com, “Intentional weight loss is sometimes the right thing to suggest, and I’ve seen people say (SkinnyTok) has made them more aware of what they put into their body.” However, the trend highlights the restriction, causing those to become “obsessed” with doing what the videos teach, to lose weight.”  

Mathis added, “Even if some of the creators have good intentions, they are sometimes giving nutrition advice, which they should not do.” 

Not all health and fitness content is harmful, but viewers need to be careful about what they consume. Is it promoting health or extreme thinness? Is it rooted in self-care or feeding on insecurities? 

Being aware and learning to filter what we watch on TikTok can help protect our mental and physical health in the long run.