A disturbing trend dubbed “SkinnyTok” is racking up millions of views across TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and YouTube, pushing extreme weight loss tactics, restrictive eating, and toxic “discipline” as the path to happiness — or at least thinness.
And it’s sending vulnerable users down a dangerous spiral, experts and survivors warn.
“I know that if I had seen that [advice] when I was younger, I would have thought I needed it, too,” Phaith Montoya, a body-positive influencer and eating disorder survivor told TODAY.com.
At first glance, TikTok appears to discourage the trend. Searching “SkinnyTok” prompts a message: “You are more than your weight,” along with links to eating disorder resources.
But scroll further and the platform serves up endless videos promoting dangerous “motivation”: skip meals, chug coffee to curb hunger, celebrate calorie deficits.
Some slogans read like parodies of self-harm:
“If your stomach is growling, pretend it’s applauding you.”
“To be small, eat small. To be big, eat big.”
“You don’t need a treat. You’re not a dog.”
It’s triggering major medical red flags, according to internal medicine specialist Dr. Asim Cheema, who flagged the trend to Forbes — including glorifying starvation and reducing food to a soulless utility.
Experts say it’s a rebrand of early-2000s “pro-ana” (pro-anorexia) communities — now with a Gen Z gloss.
“This mindset dismisses the complex realities of genetics, mental health and socioeconomic factors, promoting shame over support. It’s a toxic narrative disguised as empowerment,” Stephen Buchwald of Manhattan Mental Health, told Forbes.
TikTok’s guidelines say the app “does not allow showing or promoting disordered eating and dangerous weight loss behaviors.” And users can filter out triggering hashtags.
Still, content that pushes “potentially harmful weight management” can remain — restricted to users over 18 and removed from the For You page.
And this kind of shame-fueled culture isn’t just ineffective — it’s dangerous.
“Seeing curated, unrealistic images of thinness on a daily basis can make people feel like they’re never ‘good enough.’ This creates a cycle of self-criticism and low self-worth, which can escalate into anxiety and depression,” Buchwald said to Forbes.
He added that teens are especially at risk.
“Adolescents are neurologically wired to seek approval and belonging, which makes them especially vulnerable to trends like ‘SkinnyTok.’”
Despite backlash to fatphobia and diet culture, “SkinnyTok” proves the thin ideal isn’t going anywhere.
“SkinnyTok is just another version of something we’ve seen in the past,” said author Martha Laham when chatting with TODAY.
“The types of media and how we pursue it may be new, but the thin ideal has always been there.”
“Even if some of the creators have good intentions, they are sometimes giving nutrition advice, which they should not do,” warned Andrea Mathis, dietitian and blogger at Beautiful Eats and Things.
“Maybe it starts one way, but the more you do it with that mindset, it can turn into obsession,” she told the site.
And crash dieting doesn’t even work, said Maria AbiHanna, a nutrition expert at Food Label Maker.
“People blame willpower when they can’t stick with a diet. The truth is your body is built to resist rapid fat loss,” AbiHanna said.
“This is where things start to go into disordered territory,” Edwards-Gayfield told TODAY. “It’s time to get help.”
