This article references eating disorders and ‘pro-anorexia’ content.
TikTok has blocked searches for ‘SkinnyTok’, citing concerns that the hashtag is linked to “unhealthy weight loss content.” Now, users searching for this content will be redirected towards eating disorder and mental health resources.
Tom Quinn, from the eating disorder charity, Beat, has welcomed the change, noting the “devastating” impact this content can have on people who are already struggling with their mental health. However, he cautioned, "We know that people will often find workarounds to content blocks and there will still be damaging content that isn’t under the ‘skinnytok’ hashtag.”
#SkinnyTok is nothing new. Back in the 1990s, ‘pro-ana’ websites that promoted serious eating disorders like anorexia were easily accessible, and preyed on vulnerable young people seeking acceptance, belonging and direction. Kids like me, who were already grappling with their body image. I recall visiting these sites daily, finding myself hopelessly lacking when I compared my average, albeit sporty, physique to the emaciated and revered ‘thinspirational’ figures staring back at me. Picture after picture of skeletal girls declaring war against their bodies, accompanied by an overflow of dangerous tips and techniques on how to defy your hunger and lose as much weight as possible. Users celebrated anorexia as a lifestyle choice, whilst their illness slowly extinguished the life in them. Now, as a qualified psychologist specialising in eating disorders, I recognise how this type of cognitive distortion is both a symptom of anorexia and a perpetuating factor of it.
We never see a transformation where the subject has gained weight paired with a positive message, do we?
The new face of diet culture
Pro-ana websites were never banned in a legal sense, but major social media platforms started to crack down on content that glorifies eating disorders around a decade ago, recognising it under the umbrella of self-harm content. But that didn’t stop pro-ana communities continuing to operate incognito, and now diet culture has a new face: SkinnyTok.
SkinnyTok refers to a wave of reels, trends, and groups that promote thinness, often in the form of ‘what I eat in a day’ videos, dieting, exercise, and appearance-oriented content. Hand in hand with the rapid rise of equally problematic GLP-1 weight loss injections, it has contributed to the resurgence of deeply ingrained cultural beliefs and misinformation about what it means to have an acceptable and healthy body. And, as I’ve found, once you’ve found yourself in the echo chamber that is SkinnyTok, it is hard to get out. That’s part of the reason it gained such huge traction.
Content that plays on people’s insecurities, evokes strong emotion, or is aspirational harvests enormous amounts of attention and that attention is extremely profitable. Once you are in the algorithmic clutches of SkinnyTok, your health and well-being as the consumer is purely collateral damage. These trends tend to grow way faster than policymakers can shut them down, and, unlike blatant pro-ana promotion, thin-ideal beauty content of this nature frequently falls into a grey area ethically, masquerading as ‘healthy lifestyle’ or even ‘self-care’.
So how do you protect yourself from the harms of SkinnyTok?
Fortunately, there are several things you can do to reduce your exposure to SkinnyTok and foster a positive body image for both yourself and your kids, if you have them.
Curating your social media feeds is the most direct way to ensure that your contact with harmful body image content online is minimised. There are a few ways to do this:
- Follow people and accounts that challenge toxic norms and promote body acceptance, body positivity, body diversity, weight inclusion, and health at every size (HAES). Look for qualified, evidence-based professionals in the fields of psychology, nutrition, fitness and medicine, as well as those who are advocating for positive representation of people in all different body shapes, sizes, ages, ethnicities and abilities.
- Use your “not interested” button whenever you come across content that triggers negative thoughts about your body, comparison or shame, or promotes unhealthy ideals. Be mindful of what emotions different types of content evoke for you and report harmful content, as frequently reported posts will be circulated less frequently.
- Avoid clicking on hashtags that are likely to lead to SkinnyTok-type media, such as #whatieatinaday #weightloss and #thinspiration as this is what the algorithm uses to determine the kind of content it thinks you’ll want to see more of.
Like the rest of her family, Khloé has made her body our business for years. But does that make it fair game?
Social media is designed to grab your attention regardless of the type of content you’re consuming, so use in-app tools to help you limit the amount of time you spend on these platforms. Being intentional about the time frames in which you’ll check your feeds will help you to avoid aimless scrolling that can increase susceptibility to harmful content.
Remember that each time you watch or interact with content, you are giving that content your vote. So, if you unintentionally land on SkinnyTok-adjacent material, scroll past without engaging as this lets the algorithm know you’re not interested.
Being digitally literate means being able to use the internet safely and responsibly, not just in the way we find and evaluate information, but also in the way we create and share it. It involves understanding how AI, filtering, editing, algorithms and fake news distort reality, so that you can approach social media with critical awareness.
Be mindful about whether content appearing under the guise of wellness material is backed by scientific evidence. If it isn’t being shared by a qualified health professional, exercise caution and cross-check its validity with credible sources such as the NHS and British Dietetic Association.
Practice appreciating what your body does for you; a key component of healthy body image is shifting your focus from what you look like to how your body functions and the things it allows you to do.
Expand your awareness of all the ways in which people can be beautiful beyond narrowly defined, conventional appearance ideals.
Remind yourself regularly that your appearance is only one of many aspects of who are, and one that isn’t that controllable. There are so many wonderful things about you; don’t lose sight of that when you look in the mirror.
Teach yourself about diet and wellness culture so that you are better able to recognise and identify disordered messaging when it appears in your environment.
Where you can, advocate for body diversity, acceptance and inclusivity. The more we can channel our energies into dismantling oppressive systems like diet culture rather than trying to change ourselves to fit impossible ideals, the less damage harmful trends like SkinnyTok will do.
If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s health, you can contact Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity, 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677 or beateatingdisorders.org.uk.
Dr Charlotte Ord is the author of Body Confident You, Body Confident Kid; Seven Steps to Loving Your Body So Your Kids Grow Up Loving Theirs.
Warning signs to look out for and advice on what to say.
