Influencers Still Do This Disturbing Body-Negative Behavior. But It Helps To Recognize It.
In a looks-obsessed space like social media — and a cultural moment like the present, in which discourse surrounding weight loss drugs is unavoidable and #SkinnyTok content is so ubiquitous that TikTok banned the hashtag — repeatedly scrutinizing your appearance and documenting it online isn't a big stretch. In fact, on the fitness side of TikTok, explicit 'body checks' are super common, even normalized.
But just because a behavior is common doesn't mean it's safe or healthy. Left unchecked, body checking can take a serious toll on your mental and even physical health. It's usually a result of negative thoughts about your body. Often, it's connected to eating disorders or body dysmorphia.
Here's everything you need to know about this dangerous behavior, including what it is, how to spot it and what to do if you keep seeing it online or can't stop doing it IRL.
What is body checking?
Body checking is a repetitive, compulsive behavior 'used to gather feedback about one's body shape, weight, or size,' Keesha Amezcua, LMFT, CEDS-C, clinical director at the eating disorder treatment facility Alsana, tells HuffPost. It can look like many different things. However, it's usually centered around a body part or aspect of your physical appearance that's a source of insecurity.
Common examples include obsessively looking at yourself in the mirror and scrutinizing your body, using your clothes or accessories to 'measure' parts of your body, or repeatedly capturing full-body videos or photos of yourself to check how you look in real-time. (Fitness influencers who constantly post body check videos under the guise of recording their progress, we're looking at you.)
To be clear: Periodically catching a glimpse of your reflection isn't body checking. Taking a selfie to see how your outfit looks before you leave the house isn't body checking, either. Neither example is inherently repetitive, obsessive, or tinged by negative self-image — three key characteristics that differentiate body checking from simply looking at yourself or feeling self-conscious.
According to Alyson Curtis, MA, LMHC, a therapist who specializes in eating disorders and body image, body checking becomes a genuine concern when it affects a person's ability to be present in their everyday life. So, if you went out to dinner with your friends, but your evening was ruined because you couldn't stop adjusting your dress or hyper-fixating on how your arms looked? 'That's a problem,' Curtis tells HuffPost.
In some cases, body checking can be a sign of disordered eating or body dysmorphia.
Anecdotally, body checking is frequently (but not always) linked to eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia, or binge-eating and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Academic researchers have also established a connection between this behavior and feelings of dissatisfaction with one's body, as well as disordered eating patterns consistent with eating disorder pathology.
People who struggle with eating disorders or BDD typically have a highly negative, deeply skewed perception of what their body looks like. Consciously or not, body checking gives them a sense of control. It's a way to perpetually monitor their appearance and look out for any real or perceived fluctuations. However, since it stems from fears and insecurities, 'body checking only serves to intensify these negative feelings,' Amezcua said.
In some cases, body checking can worsen an existing case of BDD or even lead to an eating disorder that wasn't present from the jump.
'It's a really slippery slope,' Curtis said, 'and some of us are more vulnerable than others.' For context, eating disorders will impact an estimated 9% of all Americans at some point in their life. They can be deadly, so it's important to seek help from a mental health professional if you think you're dealing with one.
Curtis works with many clients who bring up body checking in sessions. Treatment modalities for this behavior run the gamut and depend on severity as well as an individual's level of anxiety or distress. For example, if a client can't stop body checking because they don't like how their clothes look, Curtis might first recommend shopping for new clothes that fit in a way they find comfortable or flattering. In general, though, 'the earlier the invention, the better,' she said.
'Body checking alone can be very distressing, but compulsive body checking is most likely connected to other disordered behaviors,' Amezcua adds. 'No one needs to suffer alone.'
What to do if you see body checking in your Instagram feed (or do it yourself).
'Social media is definitely an agitator for those who already struggle with body image issues,' Curtis said. It's no surprise that body checks are so common on platforms like TikTok or Instagram. Since it seems relatively innocuous — at least compared to more overt examples of dangerous, disordered thinking, such as pro-ana content — this behavior may not raise concern immediately. That's why it's helpful to be aware of what it looks like.
As for what you should do if you notice that an influencer you follow is body checking? Consider muting or unfollowing them. At the very least, take it as a sign to think more critically about who you follow and the kind of content you consume online.
'There is so much toxic information and imagery out there,' Amezcua adds, 'and we all know that mindless scrolling can lead to increased anxiety and decreased self-worth... If someone is dealing with body image issues or food struggles, it can be helpful to examine their relationship with social media and get curious about how their screen time impacts their overall well-being.'
Curtis echoes the sentiment. The unfortunate truth is that conventional beauty standards (and the widespread pressure to abide by them) aren't going anywhere.
'Recurrent body checking can be one of the first indicators that the pressure to conform is getting its hooks in you,' Curtis said. 'Bring curiosity and care to it and when in doubt, seek out a therapist for further support.'
To that end, if you catch yourself body checking and it's becoming repetitive or compulsive, then it's time to get help from a mental health professional. Consider working with a therapist who specializes in eating disorders or body image. Many online directories allow you to filter by specialty when you're searching for a provider.
If you're struggling with an eating disorder, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for support.
Related...
Experts Say These 7 Subtle Behaviors Might Be 'Bigorexia' In Disguise
'Orthorexia' Is More And More Common. Here's What You Should Know About It.
Inside The Body Image Movement That Doesn't Focus On Your Appearance
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New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
I went blind after drinking a tainted cocktail while traveling — the scary threat you've never heard of
There could be an undetectable poison lurking in your vacation cocktail. A Canadian woman is warning social media users after she lost her eyesight from sipping a stealthily toxic cocktail overseas — and she says she's one of the lucky ones. In December, seven tourists were hospitalized in Fiji after drinking tainted booze at a luxury resort bar. Just a month earlier, six young travelers, including one American, died in Laos under similar circumstances. Advertisement 6 Ashley King wasn't born blind. She lost her eyesight after drinking a poisoned alcoholic beverage abroad. TikTok / @ashkng Each year, thousands are killed or sickened after unknowingly consuming alcoholic beverages laced with methanol. 'It smells no different and it tastes no different from the alcohol that we typically drink,' explained Ashley King, who lost her vision after drinking tainted booze while backpacking through Bali. Methanol is a clear, flammable liquid that smells almost identical to ethanol — its drinkable cousin — but don't be fooled: it's highly toxic to humans. Advertisement 'Just as little as 30 milliliters of it — a shot — can kill you, and 15 milliliters of it can make you go blind, have organ failure, liver damage and even brain damage,' King warned. The chemical is commonly used in household and industrial products, such as gasoline, antifreeze, paint thinner and windshield wiper fluids. But on the black market, especially in developing countries, it's often dumped into bootleg alcohol to stretch supply and fatten profits. Advertisement That toxic mix is then sold to bars, hotels and other establishments, where it's served to unsuspecting patrons. 6 If ingested, methanol can cause severe health issues. kittisak – 'No different from any other night' That's what happened to King, who was visiting southern Bali in 2011 on a gap year before starting college. She and her friend were at a high-end bar, where she got drunk on vodka cocktails. Advertisement 'It was no different from any other night that I'd had when I was there,' she said. Though she felt hungover the next day, she first suspected something was wrong about two days later when they arrived in Australia. 'I remember talking to the customs people and it was like I was drunk,' she told The Guardian. 'I could not form sentences in a way that sounded confident.' After landing in New Zealand, she went to sleep when they got to their hotel. When she woke up at noon the next day, she was confused to find her hotel room seemed to be totally dark. But it wasn't dark — there was something wrong with her vision. She also couldn't breathe. 6 Ashley (pictured on her gap year in 2011) didn't know anything was wrong with her drink while out with a friend in Bali. Instagram / @ashkng At the hospital, a blood rest revealed methanol in her blood. It was bad enough that doctors were surprised she'd even woken up. 'Losing my eyesight is the hardest thing I've ever gone through, and I deal with it every single day,' King said on TikTok. The hidden danger lurking in your drink Advertisement When methanol enters the body, it turns into formaldehyde and formic acid — both highly toxic — which causes the blood to become dangerously acidic, according to the Methanol Institute. Early symptoms can mimic an ordinary night out drinking: dizziness, nausea, vomiting, poor judgment and drowsiness. But things can go from bad to deadly within 12 to 24 hours of drinking — and in some cases, more severe symptoms take up to 72 hours to surface, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While a normal hangover fades, methanol poisoning only gets worse. Victims may suffer severe abdominal pain, vomiting, vertigo, trouble breathing, confusion, headaches and blurry vision. Advertisement In more severe cases, blindness, seizures and coma can follow. 6 At the hospital — where doctors were surprised she'd made it alive — she had to drink vodka to help flush the methanol from her system. Instagram / @ashkng The Institute says methanol poisoning can often be treated if doctors intervene within 10 to 30 hours. One surprising thing that can help? Drinking alcohol. While she was in the hospital, King says she was given several vodkas with orange juice to flush the methanol from her system. Advertisement 'It was the most absurd drinking game I've ever played,' she said. 'The drunker I got the more I could breathe, the more I was able to see.' They also give her hemodialysis to filter waste from the blood, plus steroids to try to fix her eyes — but she was left with only about 2% vision, which she describes as 'like snowfall or a TV screen.' 'I've never felt so alone in my life,' she said. 'Three days ago, I had had my entire life ahead of me. And now you're telling me that I'm blind?' 6 The early signs of methanol poisoning might not raise any red flags after a night of drinking. Tunatura – How to avoid the poison pour Advertisement While the problem is global, statistics show that Asia has the highest prevalence of methanol poisoning worldwide, with outbreaks commonly occurring in Indonesia, India, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines, according to Doctors Without Borders. Since 2019, the group has tracked more than 1,000 incidents that have poisoned over 40,000 people and killed roughly 14,200. The fatality rate in an outbreak is often reported to be 20% to 40%. Last month, the US Embassy in Jordan issued a warning after a rash of methanol-related deaths linked to locally made booze — and offered some tips for travelers looking to avoid similar fates. Start by sticking to alcohol sold in licensed liquor stores, bars, hotels and established markets. Skip street vendors and informal setups. If the drink is dirt cheap, there's probably a reason — counterfeit alcohol is often sold for a fraction of the real thing. And don't accept free drinks from strangers. At the bar, watch your drink being made. If it smells off or tastes strange, ditch it. You should also avoid homemade liquor or local spirits. When in doubt, especially in unfamiliar places, skip the hard stuff altogether. Pre-packaged options like beer, cider, wine or duty-free liquor are generally safer and harder to tamper with. 6 If you suspect you've been exposed to methanol, contact emergency services right away. Jair – Before cracking open any bottle, inspect it for signs of tampering — poor label quality, broken seals or obvious spelling errors are all red flags. And of course, never let your drink out of sight. While abroad, the office said it's smart to sign up for travel alerts from your government's foreign-affairs department or local embassy. Keeping tabs on local news and knowing how to reach emergency services can also make all the difference, just in case that nightcap turns into a nightmare. 'This doesn't need to happen. But it does, and not enough people know about it. Because of this, I'm sharing my story,' King said. She's also launched a petition to spread awareness and encourage education on the dangers in both schools and airpots.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Three diets that are more effective than weight-loss drugs, according to doctors
The weight-loss jab boom is in full swing. With celebrities showing off dramatic transformations, #ozempicbody trending on TikTok, and many buying GLP-1 drugs like Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic to slim down for beach holidays, it's estimated 1.5 million Britons are now using weight-loss drugs – with 95 per cent accessing them privately, from online pharmacies or weight-loss clinics. There was good news recently for anyone hoping to try the latest weight-loss injections: the NHS announced that Mounjaro will now be available through GP surgeries in England for patients with severe obesity and the 'highest clinical need'. Over the next three years, almost a quarter of a million people are expected to benefit. GLP-1 drugs, originally designed to treat type-2 diabetes, are widely hailed as a game changer for tackling obesity. Clinical trials suggest the jabs can help users lose 15-20 per cent of their body weight. They regulate blood-sugar levels and may improve conditions linked to excess weight, including high blood pressure, fatty liver disease and sleep apnoea. However, as the Mounjaro rollout begins, concerns are mounting among doctors and public health experts that the GLP-1 gold rush is distracting from safer, more sustainable solutions for solving the UK's ailing metabolic health. Alongside the soaring demand, reports of GLP-1 side effects are growing: from nausea and constipation to gallbladder problems and, now, hundreds of cases of pancreatitis. 'There's been a rush to embrace GLP-1 drugs as a magic bullet, but we're not talking enough about the risks,' says Dr David Unwin, award-winning GP and scientific adviser to the Public Health Collaboration (PHC), a charity that champions lifestyle-based approaches to metabolic health. 'A BMJ investigation shows there have been 82 deaths associated with these medications. Yet most patients assume the drugs are safe. People are accessing them online, without proper medical supervision. It's like the Wild West.' While he acknowledges GLP-1s have a role to play, he and other doctors are concerned the drugs are being promoted as a fix-all, and are quietly proving that targeted diet and lifestyle programmes can achieve similar results – without side effects. 'You can stimulate your own GLP-1, naturally, through food and exercise,' says Dr Unwin, who is known for pioneering the low-carb diet for obesity and diabetes in the UK. 'A low-carb, high-protein diet is shown to boost GLP-1 levels. And it doesn't come with nausea or cost a fortune.' Dr Campbell Murdoch is a GP with a special interest in metabolic health who launched a Metabolic Health 28-Day Plan combining a high-protein, low-carb diet with time-restricted eating, movement, easy lifestyle changes and mindset support. Originally created for NHS patients at his practice in Somerset, the results were so positive, the programme has been made freely available online. 'The GLP-1 boom has at least put metabolic health on the radar,' says Dr Murdoch. 'Now we need to give people complete solutions, including lifestyle, not just the drugs.' Here are the three diets doctors recommend. Low-carb diet Key benefits: simple and sustainable The low-carb diet is proven to get results and can curb food cravings, reverse type 2 diabetes and deliver comparable weight loss to GLP-1s, suggests latest research. Cutting down on sugar and starchy carbs deprives the body of its primary fuel, glucose. It starts burning body fat instead, leading to weight loss. Blood-sugar levels stabilise, appetite regulates, and insulin levels fall, leading to better metabolic health and lower risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Dr Unwin has been spearheading the low-carb approach at his NHS clinic in Southport for the past 13 years, with striking results. 'On average, patients lose 10kg (22lbs) in the first year,' he says. 'We've helped 151 people achieve drug-free diabetes remission. That's 27 per cent of our diabetic population. We've saved £370,000 on diabetes medication.' In total, 51 per cent of Dr Unwin's patients with type 2 diabetes achieve remission, another 47 per cent get better control over their condition. And over 90 per cent of patients with pre-diabetes return to normal blood-sugar levels. Dr Unwin's approach has been adopted all over the world, through The Low-Carb Program and a free NHS-approved app. The method is simple, says Dr Unwin. 'Eat a nutritionally dense diet that doesn't raise your blood sugar.' Officially, low carb means eating less than 130g of carbs a day (for context, one apple is 25g, a bowl of pasta 40g). However, Dr Unwin recommends focusing less on numbers and more on cutting out sugar and starchy carbs, like bread, cereals and potatoes, while increasing protein and green veg. A typical low-carb meal might be baked salmon with asparagus and cauliflower rice. 'When you eat in a way that doesn't spike blood sugar, and includes enough protein, you stay feeling full, partly through natural, GLP-1 production,' explains Dr Unwin. Kirsten Linaker, 48, turned to the low-carb diet after weight-loss injections failed to help her. 'Dr Unwin gave me simple diet advice and a blood-glucose monitor, so I could see how foods like chocolate spiked my blood sugar,' she says. 'Now, I've lost almost 6st and have gone from size 26 to 14. I'm off my diabetic medication, and my food cravings have gone. I used to sit in bed at night, eating biscuits, now I'm just not hungry anymore. I don't even miss sweet stuff.' If you're following a low-carb diet, be sure to include nutritious foods, rich in fibre. If you have an existing medical problem, see your GP first. Keto diet Key benefit: rapid results The ketogenic, or 'keto' diet, is a more restrictive, high-fat, even lower carbohydrate approach designed to induce a fat-burning state in the body called ketosis. Followers of the diet aim for 20-50g carbs per day (drastically less than the 130g as on the low carb diet). It's proven to offer immediate weight loss and appetite suppression, along with metabolic-health benefits. 'In my experience, the keto diet gives the same benefits as GLP-1s, such as reduced appetite and elimination of food noise, without the side effects,' says Dr Eric Westman, associate professor of medicine at Duke University and director of the Duke Keto Medicine Clinic. When carb intake is drastically restricted, the body switches into ketosis, a metabolic state in which it burns fat for fuel, by converting it to ketones. This reduces blood glucose and insulin, and lowers levels of the hunger hormone, ghrelin. People can lose several pounds in the first week, gradually slowing to a more sustainable rate. Dr Westman's clinical research has shown that a keto diet can put type 2 diabetes into remission. Around 98 per cent of his patients with type 2 diabetes come off insulin. 'Patients typically lose one to two pounds a week,' he says. 'I can safely de-prescribe medications for diabetes, hypertension, heartburn and arthritis.' A meta-analysis of trials, in Nutrients, found that ketogenic diets gave better weight loss and blood-sugar control than a low-carb diet. Sharon Grey, 56, was almost 18st and living with type 2 diabetes, Nash (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), high blood pressure and depression before she began Dr Westman's keto programme ( After 13 months, her weight had dropped to 12st 8lb. 'I reversed my type 2 diabetes and Nash, and my blood pressure is normal again,' she says. 'My headaches, backache and knee pain improved, my mood is better and I'm taking fewer medications.' The key to keto success is to keep carbs under 50g a day. Include plenty of protein, says Dr Westman. 'Protein is critical as it helps you feel full, and ensures you lose fat, not muscle,' he says. 'Don't overdo the dietary fat - if you eat too much of it, your body will burn that, rather than body fat.' His top five keto foods are eggs, meat or poultry, seafood, non-starchy veg (like cauliflower or broccoli) and leafy greens. So when should you choose keto, rather than a low-carb diet? 'Keto isn't always necessary, but in severe cases, it can be beneficial,' says Dr Murdoch. 'The keto diet offers rapid results and some patients feel better on it,' adds Dr Unwin. 'However, it's more complicated than a standard, low-carb diet, and not essential for reversing type 2 diabetes.' Transitioning to ketosis can trigger temporary fatigue and nausea, called 'keto flu'. If you're on medication, or have a medical condition, only try keto under medical supervision, advises Dr Westman. Intermittent fasting Key benefits: cheap and effective If you don't like calorie counting, focusing on when you eat, rather than what you eat, could be the solution. Intermittent fasting – alternating periods of eating and fasting, such as the popular 5:2 diet – can lead to an average weight loss of five to nine per cent of body weight over three to 12 months, according to research. 'When we don't eat, the body moves into fat-release mode,' explains Dr Murdoch. 'Fasting gives the body longer to use up stored sugar and burn body fat. That's why it improves blood-sugar control, too.' Among the most effective fasting methods is time-restricted eating (TRE), where you consume your food within a defined window each day, followed by an overnight fast. A study at Manchester Metropolitan University found that just three days on the 16:8 method (eating within an eight-hour window and fasting for 16 hours) significantly improved blood-sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes. 'TRE offers promising benefits for weight loss, glucose regulation and metabolic health – without calorie counting,' says study lead Dr Kelly Bowden Davies. 'While average weight loss is typically less than with GLP-1 drugs, prolonged use of TRE is a cheaper, safer and more accessible alternative – especially when combined with lifestyle changes.' That's the approach taken by Dr Murdoch with his Metabolic Health 28-Day Plan. It combines time-restricted eating (11am-7pm), focusing on lower-carb (often under 70g a day), high-protein (1-2g per kilo of body weight a day) foods, daily movement (for example, squats while the kettle boils) and seven hours' sleep, presented as a tick list of 10 daily habits. 'People often lose half a stone to a stone in the first month,' says Dr Murdoch. 'Blood pressure, blood sugar, mood and energy all improve. It's as effective as GLP-1s, for a fraction of the cost, and with far better sustainability.' Donna Brewer, 48, weighed nearly 22st when she started the plan in April. 'I'd gradually gone from a size 14 to a 24. I felt sluggish, tired, anxious, and my blood pressure was dangerously high,' she says. 'After 28 days, I'd lost almost one-and-a-half stone. Now I'm down more than 2st, my waist's shrunk from 130cm to 118cm, and I'm off medication. I feel so much happier and more energetic. It's not like a diet – more a shift in mindset.' The health risks of GLP-1s Using GLP-1 drugs without nutrition advice or lifestyle support can lead to malnutrition and even accelerated ageing, caution experts. 'GLP-1s reduce appetite but if you simply eat less of a regular, poor diet, you risk becoming deficient in protein and nutrients – and this drives muscle loss,' says Dr Murdoch. 'We're already seeing muscle loss and then weight regain when people stop taking the drugs.' An Oxford University review found that most people regain the weight within 10 months of stopping GPL-1s. 'The drugs are only licensed for two years [and many patients give up earlier],' says Dr Murdoch. 'After that, if you haven't changed your habits, the weight comes back – and you've lost muscle along the way, which is hard to get back.' In a recent clinical trial, 42 per cent of over-60s lost at least 10 per cent of their muscle power – the equivalent of ageing 7.5 years – within six months of taking the GLP-1 drug semaglutide. 'You need to pair these drugs with resistance training and proper nutrition, particularly protein,' says Dr Murdoch. GLP-1s do have a role to play, say the doctors. 'For people addicted to ultra-processed food or who struggle to give up starchy carbs, GLP-1s can be a temporary tool, if combined with nutritional support,' says Dr Unwin. 'I recently had a 75-year-old patient who lost a stone and a half and came off insulin by combining a GLP-1 with a low-carb diet.' However, he and other doctors are concerned the drugs are being promoted as a fix-all. 'The way weight-loss drugs are being pushed as a default solution is worrying,' says Dr David Jehring, chairman of the PHC, chief executive of Black Pear Software and creator of Elevate, a new AI personal health coach, soon to be trialled in the NHS. 'GLP-1s are now so widely available, primary care services are being told they don't need to offer dietary interventions.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Doctor exposes shocking disparity in medicine costs between the US and Australia
A doctor has exposed the shocking reality for Americans who are forced to pay up to tens of thousands of dollars for vital medicines that some Aussies fork out less than $10 for. Doctor Michael broke down the price discrepancies between five common medications in the United States, Australia and Scotland to his more than 500,000 followers on TikTok. Watched more than 2.7 million times, he started the video on a salbutamol inhaler, a puffer for asthma sufferers, costing about A$10, while it is US$50 in the states. A doctor has revealed the shock costs of five common medicines in the US, Australia and Scotland. One medication will set back Americans up to $84,500. 4 A doctor has revealed the shock costs of five common medicines in the US, Australia and Scotland. Nikish H/ – Atorvastatin, a medication to lower cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular disease, is priced as little as A$6.70 for 30 tablets in Australia, compared to US$2,628 for Americans. Next was Omeprazole, used for treating stomach acid, heartburn and reflux, costs A$6 in Australia and up to US $326 in the US. While Azithromycin, an antibiotic to treat bacterial infections, can set Americans back US$155, while many Aussies pay just A$7.70. However, the biggest shock was Sofosbuvir, which treats hepatitis C, with a 12-week treatment roughly costing an eyewatering US$84,000 without insurance and discounts. It equates to about US$1,000 a tablet, multiple US health websites reported. Meanwhile, it costs about $31 for a packet of 28 in Australia on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Americans are facing much higher costs. There are no costs involved for all five medications mentioned in Scotland, Dr Michael said. 'Oh my god,' he said in reaction to the five-figure cost. 'See, in Scotland and Australia there's a socialist healthcare system which means that the government subsidises the cost of medications.' Commenters from around the world were left shocked. 'Aussie here, happy to pay extra tax to know that everyone can get medical care. It's a human right ffs,' one person said. 'America is one gigantic scam,' added another. 'People in Australia cry over tax we have to pay,' added a third. 'On the other hand, free hospitals, cheap medicine, cheap doctors, family tax benefit, aged care, unemployment benifits, aged pension, carer payments, meternity leave, farm house allowances, disability support, youth allowance. The list goes on. Australia looks after its citizens.' The medical practitioner's video came after President Donald Trump threatened a 200 percent tariff on imported drugs, one of Australia's largest exports to the US. 4 The medical practitioner's video came after President Donald Trump threatened a 200 per cent tariff on imported drugs, one of Australia's largest exports to the US. Tyler Olson – The commander-in-chief this week warned he may hike it a further 50 per cent. 'We'll be putting (an) initially small tariff on pharmaceuticals, but in one year, one-and-a-half years, maximum, it's going to go to 150 per cent,' he said in a CNBC interview on Tuesday. 'And then it's going to go to 250 per cent because we want pharmaceuticals made in our country.' Trump's fresh tariff threat It is feared President Trump's war on Big Pharma could have monumental consequences in Australia that could see billions wiped from the economy and the PBS caught in the crossfire. However, The Australian Institute's chief economist, Matt Grudnoff, urged caution and argued the leader of the free world himself was likely unsure of what he is going to do on pharmaceutical tariffs 'yet'. 'Some of the numbers he throws around, we know that even after well over six months now of talk about tariffs, he really hasn't nailed down exactly what they're going to be anywhere. This is something that I think will be off in the future,' Mr Grundoff told US President Donald Trump has threatened to slap 250 per cent tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals, a $2.2 billion export of Australia. He also stressed American consumers will be hit harder than Australians if any tariffs were to be applied, but Mr Grudnoff said the timing of it could be around the US midterms. 'If Trump imposes tariffs that increase the price of medicines in the US right before the midterm elections… I can't see that happening for political reasons if nothing else,' he said. 'I think that Republicans facing re-election will be very keen for that not to happen and also Trump has been… talking about decreasing medicine prices and (if) medicine prices go up, that might be quite difficult politically for him.' 4 He also stressed American consumers will be hit harder than Australians if any tariffs were to be applied, but Mr Grudnoff said the timing of it could be around the US midterms. bukhta79 – He said any levies on pharmaceuticals could have a 'slightly larger impact' compared to other industries and affect some of the largest medicine companies in Australia. The Albanese government ruled out making changes to the PBS to appease President Trump who has been urged to overhaul the 'discriminatory' scheme that 'undermines' US exports. Any alteration to the system may drive up prices of medicines in Australia. 'To be very clear, there seems to be very strong bipartisan policy in Australia (on) both sides that no, they're not going to use the PBS as a bargaining tool,' Mr Grudnoff said. 'There has been no indication yet that the Australian government would reduce pharmaceutical tariffs for higher US drug prices in Australia. I think they'd be crazy to do it. I don't think our trade with the US in pharmaceutical goods is anywhere near big enough to warrant the pain that would be caused in Australia by higher drug prices.' Both sides of government have ruled out any changes to the PBS amid President Trump's pharmaceutical tariff threat. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has previously said the PBS is 'not up for negotiation'. Last week the government introduced legislation to bring down the cap of eligible medicines on the PBS from $31.60 down to $25 from January 1 next year. Labor said it will save Australians about $200 million a year. PBS wait times a big concern, peak body warns The threat of President Trump's tariffs are less of a concern compared to the long wait times for medicines to be put on the PBS, a peak pharmaceutical research industry has said. Medicines Australia chief Liz de Somer warned Australians could die waiting for new life-saving medicines to be listed on the scheme Patients and advocacy groups say the complex process and excessive red tape involved is leading to unnecessary and long delays. 4 Patients and advocacy groups say the complex process and excessive red tape involved is leading to unnecessary and long delays. Tiktok/@drmichaelsays A report this week found the average wait time from when a medication is approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration to being listed is 22 months. It would see drugs costing hundreds to thousands of dollars drop to just over $30. 'Patients will die waiting for medicines to be listed,' Ms de Somer said. 'And this will have a far greater effect on the Australian system than anything else.' A review of the PBS system was completed by the Health Technology Assessment and handed to the federal government last year, making a series of recommendations to improve speed. Health Minister Mark Butler has said the review will help guide the Albanese government on future decisions on reform. 'The Albanese government is continuing to make medicines available to Australian patients faster and cheaper,' he said. 'We know patients want faster access to cutting-edge medicine and treatments. 'That's why our government is working through the recommendations of the HTA review, so Australians can get faster access to the best medicines and therapies, at a cost that patients and the community can afford.'
