Women Who Watch Pro-Anorexia Content Online at Greater Risk for Body Image Dissatisfaction, Study Suggests

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty

Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty

Less than 10 minutes on TikTok can significantly harm a woman’s mental health and increase the risk for developing an eating disorder, a new study suggests.Thestudy— published August 7 in the science journalPLOS ONE — surveyed 273 women ages 18 to 28 from July 2021 to October 2021 about their TikTok use. Participants were also screened for symptoms of disordered eating, body image, their attitudes toward beauty standards, and risk for orthorexia, which according to theNational Eating Disorder Associationis “an obsession with proper or ‘healthful’ eating.“Half of the participants were shown “pro-anorexia” TikTok content while the other half were shown neutral TikTok content.Researchers from Charles Sturt University in Australia found that the participants from both groups reported a decrease in body image satisfaction after viewing the content. However, in just 8 minutes, those who were exposed to the “pro-anorexia” content had worse body image satisfaction and were more likely to internalize ideals of thinness.“Our study showed that less than 10 minutes of exposure to implicit and explicit pro-anorexia TikTok content had immediate negative consequences for body image states and internalization of appearance ideals, suggesting psychological harm can occur for young female TikTok users even when explicit pro-anorexia content is not sought out and when TikTok use is of a short duration,” study authors said in arelease.In order to combat these unhealthy ideals, researchers insisted that there is a “need for more stringent controls and regulations from TikTok” on content involving disordered eating and unhealthy actions.GettyNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.A spokesperson for TikTok tells PEOPLE that, “This study has significant limitations, does not reflect the experience of our community, and was conducted three years ago. We continually enhance our platform and policies to promote a positive and safe experience, and regularly consult with experts, remove content that violate our policies, and provide access to supportive resources.“In the platform’s currentcommunity guidelines, TikTok states that it does “not allow showing or promoting disordered eating and dangerous weight loss behaviors, or facilitating the trade or marketing of weight loss or muscle gain products.According to TikTok, the platform has added permanent public service announcements on certain hashtags, such as #whatIeatinaday, to increase awareness and provide support for our community. The company has also implemented search interventions, so when someone searches for words or phrases such as #anorexia, they will be redirected to local support resources.If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, please go toNationalEatingDisorders.org.

Less than 10 minutes on TikTok can significantly harm a woman’s mental health and increase the risk for developing an eating disorder, a new study suggests.

Thestudy— published August 7 in the science journalPLOS ONE — surveyed 273 women ages 18 to 28 from July 2021 to October 2021 about their TikTok use. Participants were also screened for symptoms of disordered eating, body image, their attitudes toward beauty standards, and risk for orthorexia, which according to theNational Eating Disorder Associationis “an obsession with proper or ‘healthful’ eating.”

Half of the participants were shown “pro-anorexia” TikTok content while the other half were shown neutral TikTok content.

Researchers from Charles Sturt University in Australia found that the participants from both groups reported a decrease in body image satisfaction after viewing the content. However, in just 8 minutes, those who were exposed to the “pro-anorexia” content had worse body image satisfaction and were more likely to internalize ideals of thinness.

“Our study showed that less than 10 minutes of exposure to implicit and explicit pro-anorexia TikTok content had immediate negative consequences for body image states and internalization of appearance ideals, suggesting psychological harm can occur for young female TikTok users even when explicit pro-anorexia content is not sought out and when TikTok use is of a short duration,” study authors said in arelease.

In order to combat these unhealthy ideals, researchers insisted that there is a “need for more stringent controls and regulations from TikTok” on content involving disordered eating and unhealthy actions.

Getty

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

A spokesperson for TikTok tells PEOPLE that, “This study has significant limitations, does not reflect the experience of our community, and was conducted three years ago. We continually enhance our platform and policies to promote a positive and safe experience, and regularly consult with experts, remove content that violate our policies, and provide access to supportive resources.”

In the platform’s currentcommunity guidelines, TikTok states that it does “not allow showing or promoting disordered eating and dangerous weight loss behaviors, or facilitating the trade or marketing of weight loss or muscle gain products.

According to TikTok, the platform has added permanent public service announcements on certain hashtags, such as #whatIeatinaday, to increase awareness and provide support for our community. The company has also implemented search interventions, so when someone searches for words or phrases such as #anorexia, they will be redirected to local support resources.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, please go toNationalEatingDisorders.org.

source: people.com