How has TikTok Influenced Online Diet Culture?

Good or bad, TikTok is influencing the way we view our bodies and our diets.

Amala Parry
1st April 2024
Image credit: Pixabay, stevepb
Social media's impact on diet culture and body image cannot be understated. From detox teas to nutrition influencers, social media is notorious for promoting unrealistic standards and unhealthy trends, though perhaps it's not all bad...

We spend most of our lives absorbed in our electronic devices, scrolling aimlessly through food TikToks at 2 am or stalking supermodels' profiles on Instagram when we should be working. It's no surprise then, that we are subconsciously absorbing an array of different messages on the daily, some of which can be incredibly detrimental towards our perception of our bodies and diets.

Social media is known for being a breeding ground for diet culture, with the Hollywood elite regularly showcasing their perfectly toned (and subtly photoshopped) bodies and promoting gym culture or dieting techniques.

From Bella Hadid's low-carb, high-protein diet to Gwenyth Paltrow's promotion of fasting and detoxing, we are regularly exposed to celebrity endorsements of diet culture. We've come to accept the fact that to achieve the flat stomach of Victoria's Secret runway models, we must resent processed foods, drink our protein shakes and eat an avocado a day.

This has only become more prevalent since the introduction of short-form video platforms, such as TikTok (or the equivalent of Instagram Reels). As one of the leading social media platforms amongst young people today, TikTok is incredibly influential and impactful.

We've come to accept the fact that to achieve the flat stomach of Victoria's Secret runway models, we must resent processed foods, drink our protein shakes and eat an avocado a day.

With health and nutrition content being one of the most 'widely consumed types of content on TikTok' (Healthline, 2022), it's no wonder the platform holds so much power over our perceptions. Most of the diet content generated on TikTok is from nutrition and diet influencers, as opposed to certified nutritionists or doctors, so misinformation can easily become an issue.

TikTok is unique in that it enables us to absorb massive amounts of content in very small amounts of time, so we become saturated with information. What's more, TikTok uses a very clever algorithm system which monitors the content we interact with and filters our feeds to best match this, meaning those engaging with toxic diet culture will inevitably see more videos of that nature on their profiles.

Despite this, diet culture is not all seeped in toxicity. Some health and nutrition influencers, though perhaps not clinically trained, promote body positivity and healthy diet culture. Many social media influencers aim to celebrate body diversity, encourage self-acceptance and challenge the sometimes harmful narratives of diet culture.

There are accounts on Instagram and TikTok that produce educational content on diet and nutrition, as well as encouraging and empowering content for those who may be struggling with body image or an eating disorder.

Many social media influencers aim to celebrate body diversity, encourage self-acceptance and challenge the sometimes harmful narratives of diet culture.

So whilst there's no denying that while social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have massively influenced the online diet culture scene, the positive or negative impacts of these influences are up for a debate.

I think it's important that we recognise the sometimes toxic nature of online diet culture, which is often fueled by our favourite celebs and their supplement advertisements or workout regimes. You can't trust every bit of information you read on the internet, especially if it doesn't come from an official or medical source.

However, diet culture is constantly shifting, and in today's society, which is intertwined with massive user-generated platforms such as TikTok, there has been a surge in body acceptance and positivity- you just have to look in the right places!

AUTHOR: Amala Parry
Campus Comment Sub-editor

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