TikTok says no to #SkinnyTok. Does it mean a win for mental health?

India Today

09-06-2025

This is a digital-first world. Smartphones are no longer a true luxury but more of a necessity. And of course, this comes with a price, metaphorically (and yes, literally too). Then comes the Internet. It's a love-hate relationship, no doubt. On social media, you can express opinions, explore new things, and even use it to scout jobs. The pros are too many, and so are the cons.advertisementIf you are someone who has been active on social media, chances are you have already been served the idea of a healthy diet culture in a reel, amongst all the other things the internet may push your way.#SkinnyTok is one such trend on TikTok. This viral trend's concept of fitness is being as thin as possible. Shrinking waistlines have become a social flex. In the guise of wellness or weight-loss tips, the content following this hashtag is about dangerously restrictive dietary methods.
Now, the social media platform has banned the hashtag and instead redirects users to a mental health resource page.While it is just like any other viral hashtag, trends like #SkinnyTok and 'What I Eat in a Day' are feeding more than just engagement, they are feeding eating disorders, too.advertisementAccording to recent studies, social media plays a major role in this. Data further highlights that women are more susceptible to falling prey to these trends.TikTok bans #skinnytokOne 'harmless' scroll (apparently), and the next thing you know, you have this urge to simply believe and start following whatever the reels and videos are showing. #SkinnyTok is a glaring example of this.It takes just one video for you to show interest, then the algorithm floods you with more, even if you don't want it, until you do.
#SkinnyTok idealised extreme weight loss. Under the guise of fitness, the hashtag promoted content about unhealthy weight loss. Eventually, it snowballed into an unsaid competition about waistlines, thigh gaps, and who is the thinnest of them all. Truth be told, it's a game you are meant to lose, and you might not even realise it.When it comes to treating patients with eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia nervosa, experts have expressed how misinformation and social media influencers have become a major hurdle. "The patients are completely indoctrinated, and my 45-minute weekly consultation is no match for spending hours every day on TikTok," nutritionist Carole Copti told to AFP.Rise of eating disordersIt may sound like a physiological problem, but eating disorders are a mental health issue (mostly). These are psychological disorders characterised by abnormal eating habits and distorted weight-control behaviours. Research shows that the prevalence of eating disorders has significantly surged over the years, from 3.5 per cent in 2000 to 7.8 per cent in 2018.Coincidence much? Not quite. That timeline also matches the rise and diversification of social media into our everyday lives.
Social media has become an inevitable part of our lives. (Photo: Pexels)
"Eating disorders are more prevalent amongst adolescent females, with 5.7 per cent affected, compared to 1.2 per cent of adolescent males," a 2024 study in Front Psychiatry states.As per a systematic review published in JAMA Paediatrics, teenage females are at an alarmingly high risk of developing eating problems, which have been linked to severe emotional anguish and medical issues. It states that, "Compared to boys, girls are three times more likely to exhibit an eating disorder by the age of 15."Why women?advertisementThe answer is twofold - it's the biology as well as the culture. 'Biologically, a woman's life is governed by certain hormones, and she experiences hormonal fluctuations throughout her lifetime. These hormones specifically influence her eating behaviours,' says Dr. Sonali Chaturvedi, consultant, psychology, Arete Hospitals, tells India Today.
Women are more prone to developing eating disorders (Photo: Pexels)
But that's not it. Unrealistic beauty standards for women are at play too."Society expects women to look in a certain way, to maintain a certain ideal body weight. They compare themselves with certain 'ideal' body images and have low self-esteem in case if they are not able to maintain that. So, that is the reason: where they grow up in an environment where they are not confident about how they look, their appearances, their body weight, and they end up having certain eating disorders," she adds.advertisementThe validation that one gets on social media can take a heavy toll on the mind, body and soul too.These trends thrive on self-esteem, one like and comment at a time.Trending Reel