If you are currently struggling or have previously struggled with an eating disorder, this article may be triggering. Take precaution when reading, and seek appropriate resources if needed.
TikTok is the new source of entertainment, comedy, recipes and anything else you can fit into ten seconds. What once started as an app filled with fun and easy dances to learn has grown into a much more diverse platform. The more you ‘like’ videos on the app, the more your feed is filtered to accomodate you. In my case, I love watching videos of dermatologists explaining skin care tips, professional trainers teaching short workout circuits, and dieticians offering tips on nutrition.
Although these videos can be helpful, there is one danger to the app that many women need to be aware of: the risks that come from listening to a random user giving you diet advice. While the intentions behind the “What I Eat in a Day as a Model” video trend is generally to help others lose weight, it’s not always safe for every body type. Not to mention, you don’t know for a fact that these are the actual daily diets of different women; they could be leaving things out, eating especially healthy that day, etc.
- You Have No Proof This is Exactly What They’re Eating
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If you were to be on camera for an entire day, it’s likely you’d make some different choices as to what you eat. This goes the same for TikTok users recording their daily food routine. Of course, many of them might be honest, but you never know. So, take what they say with a grain of salt and never fully trust a random video for what you should eat everyday.
- Random Users Aren’t Fully Educated in Nutrition
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If a video of someone comes up on your feed and they’re giving you diet advice, be sure to research them first. If the user is a dietician or a medical professional, they’ll likely put that in their bio, and you can check online to be sure. These professionals study nutrition for years, so it’s best to stick to their advice. Many of these nutritionists on TikTok create content specifically bashing the diet tips that are famous on TikTok such as cinnamon water, consuming loads of apple cider vinegar daily, etc. because they recognize the danger of young women listening to these tips.
- Everybody is Different
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Just because one person may lose ten pounds in one week from eating a certain diet doesn’t mean you will. In fact, different body types have been known to process different macronutrients at different speeds, says Everyday Health. So be careful when trying a certain diet type, as it may not be the best for your body.
- Different Activity Levels
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Many of the popular diet diary videos on TikTok don’t include an exercise routine. So if you choose to follow someone’s diet without knowing how many calories they’re burning a day, you likely will not get the same result. Everyone has different activity levels. The user who posts about eating 2500 calories in one day may be a professional athlete who burns tons of calories, thus needing the extra food to balance it out. Inversely, the user who only eats 1200 calories may not be exercising at all and trying to lose weight. Be sure to always account for calories burned when dieting.
- Your Food Preferences
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If you start a diet that consists of foods you don’t particularly enjoy, it likely won’t be sustainable. Think about it: if you’re eating foods every day that you don’t necessarily like, the craving for your favorites will be much stronger. This is why many dieticians encourage dropping the ‘all or nothing’ approach. This means that you don’t need to jump into a diet all at once. Instead, simply incorporating healthy foods into your diet will leave less room for unhealthy ones. But be sure you satisfy your cravings in a healthy way. For example, if you know you love chocolate, maybe eat a square or two of dark chocolate after dinner; that way your craving is satisfied without hurting your dieting progress.
- Food Isn’t the Only Cause of Weight Gain
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Although eating a healthy diet will be a huge part in helping you feel confident in your body, it doesn’t stop there. If you truly want to lose (or gain!) weight and maintain your goal, then you should be making lifestyle changes as well. Healthline featured an article titled, “The 17 Best Ways to Maintain Weight Loss,” which included multiple tips that aren’t diet related. These included getting enough sleep, managing your stress levels, being mentally prepared for setbacks and finding a support system. All of these factors can help you with any diet you choose, and they are just as important as the food you intake.
- Mental Health
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Perhaps the most important reason to be wary when discussing TikTok diets is the danger to your mental health. If you spend even 30 minutes a day on the app looking at diet videos, it can truly rewire your brain. From experience, when I first saw women explaining how they only eat 600 calories a day to become a model, I was tempted to try it. I had wanted to shed a few pounds for a while, so it seemed easy. But, after talking to my mom (who is a medical professional), she explained not only the danger to my physical health from not eating enough, but also how this malnutrition could be hurting my brain as well. Eating disorders are more common than you may think, and they can be triggered by repeatedly viewing things such as TikTok diets.
If you feel as if you’re struggling with an eating disorder, you can call the Neda Feeding Home helpline at (800) 931-2237.
If you feel like you want to gain or lose some weight, it’s best to meet with a dietician or medical professional, such as your doctor. That way, you’re not only getting science-based information, but also you’re getting a diet that is tailored to your body and your goals. TikTok can be a fun app, but be sure to look out for untrustworthy diet information. The process of changing your physical body is something that many people go to college and get certifications to help you do, so skip over those 10 second diet videos, as your body and mental health are too precious to mess with.
We hope this article shed some light on a current trend that can be extremely dangerous for women everywhere.