In a move lauded by public health experts and mental health advocates alike, TikTok recently banned the hashtag #SkinnyTok, along with related content promoting extreme thinness and disordered eating. While this step reflects growing platform accountability, specialists warn it may not be enough to curb the deeper social and algorithmic drivers of eating disorders among vulnerable populations.
The Rise and Fall of #SkinnyTok
The #SkinnyTok trend glorifies extreme thinness and harsh “motivational” mantras that encourage food restriction and body shaming. Common phrases like “Your stomach isn’t growling, it’s applauding” or “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” have recently circulated widely among teens and young adults. Though cloaked in humor or so-called “fitness motivation,” these posts often promote patterns consistent with anorexia nervosa and orthorexia.
According to Dr. Lauren Breithaupt, a clinical psychologist and eating disorders researcher at Harvard Medical School, “Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to algorithm-driven platforms like TikTok. The content they view becomes increasingly extreme the more they engage with it—creating a tunnel of triggering media” (Wired, 2023).
The Mental Health Toll
Eating disorder experts have repeatedly voiced concern over the unfiltered presence of diet culture on social media. Dr. Jillian Lampert, Chief Strategy Officer at The Emily Program, notes that content like #SkinnyTok “can serve as a how-to manual for someone already at risk for developing an eating disorder.” She adds that viewing restrictive content correlates with higher body dissatisfaction and engagement in harmful weight control behaviors (New York Post, 2025).
This exposure is particularly dangerous for adolescents, as eating disorders have the second-highest mortality rate of all psychiatric conditions (Arcelus et al., 2011). Anorexia nervosa, for example, is frequently misunderstood as a choice rather than a severe biopsychosocial illness.
Policy Intervention and Platform Responsibility
The ban came after French Digital Minister Clara Chappaz flagged the hashtag to national and European Union regulators. In response, TikTok began redirecting searches for #SkinnyTok and similar terms to verified support resources, including the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and the National Alliance for Eating Disorders.
While welcome, many experts feel these reactive measures only scratch the surface. Dr. Rachel Rodgers, a body image researcher at Northeastern University, warns, “Banning a hashtag is not a solution when the content itself evolves faster than moderation. Thin-ideal messages reappear under new, coded language within days.”
Indeed, as seen in past bans (e.g., pro-ana Tumblr communities), similar harmful trends often rebrand with terms like #Fitspo or #BodyGoals, continuing to evade content moderation filters.
Why This Matters
According to Dr. Cynthia M. Bulik, Founding Director of the Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders at UNC Chapel Hill, social media platforms“ must be treated as part of the ecological system influencing eating disorders.” Bulik emphasizes the need for platforms to move from reactive policing to proactive safeguards, including:
- Algorithm audits to identify harmful content loops
- Psychological training for moderators
- Collaborative partnerships with eating disorder clinicians and advocacy groups
What Should Come Next
TikTok’s removal of #SkinnyTok is a sign that platforms are feeling pressure to prioritize mental health. Still, real progress demands more than keyword filtering. It requires:
- Comprehensive digital literacy education for youth, parents, and schools
- Cross-platform regulation that holds companies accountable for addictive and harmful algorithms
- Ongoing input from health experts in shaping moderation policies
As Teen Vogue’s Brittney McNamara aptly put it, “Unless we confront the culture that birthed #SkinnyTok, we’ll just keep playing whack-a-mole with new hashtags.” Until then, the ban remains a symbol—not a solution.
Sources:
- Arcelus, J., Mitchell, A. J., Wales, J., & Nielsen, S. (2011). Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders: A meta-analysis of 36 studies. Archives of General Psychiatry, 68(7), 724–731. https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.74
- Breithaupt, L. (2023). Quoted in: Wired. Eating Disorder Content Is Infiltrating TikTok. https://www.wired.com/story/eating-disorder-content-is-infiltrating-tiktok-some-creators-are-going-viral-debunking-it
- Lampert, J. (2025). Quoted in: New York Post. These are the ‘self-bullying’ phrases leading the toxic world of #SkinnyTok. https://nypost.com/2025/05/05/health/what-really-makes-skinnytok-so-dangerous-according-to-docs
- McNamara, B. (2025). TikTok Banned the “SkinnyTok” Hashtag. It’s Only a Matter of Time Until a New Insidious Diet Trend Replaces It. Teen Vogue. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/tiktok-banned-skinnytok-hashtag
- Rodgers, R. (2023). Body image research, Northeastern University. Various public comments on TikTok content moderation.
