Are TikTok Health Trends Harmful? A Study Says ‘Yes’

A recent survey MyFitnessPal reveals that 87% of Millennials and Gen Z TikTok users have turned to the platform for nutrition advice, with 57% reporting that they frequently adopt nutrition trends they've found on the platform.

This raises concerns about the potential harm of following health trends on TikTok, which we’ll explore in this article. 

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The accuracy of nutrition content on TikTok

MyFitnessPal partnered with Dublin City University to analyze the accuracy of diet and nutrition content on TikTok.

The study — which analyzed over 67,000 videos using AI — found that only 2.1% of the analyzed nutrition content proved to be accurate when compared to these guidelines. The remaining content was either inaccurate, partially accurate, or classified as uncertain due to a lack of support by scientific evidence.

This means that following these nutrition trends may have a neutral to positive effect at best, but at worst, young people may try health trends that are actively harmful to their well-being. 

The growing trend of celebrities and public figures promoting new health fads, pharmaceuticals, and advice through their platforms is also a point of concern. 

Are there more health-focused regulations coming to TikTok?

One potential solution to address the spread of misinformation on social media platforms is to provide more nutrition training to healthcare providers so that people can talk to their doctors about their nutrition-related questions. 

According to a report by Harvard’s Food Law and Policy Clinic, 86% of physicians in the U.S. report they feel unqualified to offer nutritional advice to patients. This may explain why many young people are finding other ways to get informed. 

However, it’s ultimately up to entities like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to oversee the dissemination of nutrition-focused information. 

Unfortunately, the agency updated its guidance around social media since 2014 — with the bulk of its counsel focusing specifically on pharmaceutical advertising. 

Given that TikTok launched in 2016, it’s clear that there’s an urgent need for these guidelines to be updated — not just with regard to advertisements, but also about the accuracy of information influencers can circulate to their followers. 

Key Takeaways:

• A recent survey finds that 87% of Millennials and Gen Z TikTok users have turned to the platform for nutrition and health advice. 
• The problem: only 2.1% of the nutrition content is accurate. 
• Ultimately, the FDA will need to find a way to regulate the spread of nutrition-focused misinformation on social media platforms.