As Summer approaches, our social feeds are filled with summer body content, quite often pushing for quick dieting tips and tricks and encourages people to ‘get fit quick’. Among the most damaging trends that’s been round the houses recently is SkinnyTok: a space filled with extreme dieting, calorie restriction, and ‘thinspiration’ content, often disguised as wellness.
For individuals with eating disorders, or those in recovery, this content isn’t just triggering – it’s dangerous.
The return of ‘Skinny’ and the decline of body positivity
In recent years, there has been a noticeable cultural shift: the once-celebrated body positivity movement is losing visibility, while the glorification of thinness is creeping back into mainstream fashion, celebrity culture, and social media feeds.
There are certainly a few things driving it; the overwhelming content on GLP-1 medications aka ‘skinny jabs’ as well as the resurgence of diet culture to name a few. Content labelled as ‘clean eating’, ‘gut health’, or ‘wellness’ is shaping how we feel we should look and social media only accelerates this. You don’t have to scroll far on social media to get a stream of body comparisons that reinforce thin cis, female, white, able-bodied, beauty ideals and force you to question your body image and your body shape. Plus, the algorithm rewards what gets engagement, and historically, this has been content portraying thinner bodies as ‘aspirational’.
This cultural reversion is concerning, especially for younger audiences; it emphasises appearance as a measure of worth and undermines years of progress in promoting body neutrality and acceptance.
Check out our CEO, Kerrie Jones, discussing this shift in the narrative we’re seeing on social: https://www.tiktok.com/@orri_uk/video/7515804740987653399
So what is SkinnyTok?
SkinnyTok refers to a hashtag that went viral on TikTok that promoted extreme weight loss, often through toxic and disordered eating habits as well as offering filters that altered appearances to look ‘skinny’. Although TikTok has finally taken steps to ban the hashtag, variants continue to circulate as a way for that niche community to continue to thrive and circumnavigate the ban. These videos glorify thinness, often paired with aesthetics and motivational language that mask the harm being done.
One of our Psychotherapists, Sophie Killip, discusses this on our TikTok – check our her video here: https://www.tiktok.com/@orri_uk/video/7513980539150339350
Why standing up against SkinnyTok matters for eating disorder recovery
It’s no secret that the internet can be a scary place that sometimes resembles something from a George Orwell novel. One 2022 investigation found that TikTok showed users with known eating disorder history over 3x more pro-ana content (this is content that is ‘pro-anorexia’, which is usually promoting harmful behaviour and mindsets that forms part of some eating disorders) even when they didn’t actively engage with it. Just eight minutes of exposure to this content has been linked to measurable drops in body satisfaction and increases in internalised thin ideals.
Research also shows a strong correlation between social media use and body dissatisfaction. A study published in 2023 found TikTok users were more likely to experience comparison, negative self-talk, and disordered eating behaviours, particularly in adolescents.
The problem with disguised content
One of the more insidious aspects of SkinnyTok is that it often presents itself as ‘health-focused’. This can include ‘What I eat in a day’ videos, obsessive calorie counting, and weight loss journeys. These formats blur the line between disordered eating and lifestyle content, making it difficult for viewers (especially young people) to discern what is genuinely helpful and what is harmful.
Who is most at risk?
In the UK, 76% of TikTok users are aged 15–24, meaning a significant portion of the audience for ‘SkinnyTok’ content is made up of adolescents and young adults. These are critical years for identity development, and exposure to this kind of content can be particularly harmful at such a formative stage. LGBTQIA+ individuals, and people with a history of mental health challenges are also particularly vulnerable. For LGBTQIA+ youth, the risks are amplified: body dysphoria, societal pressures, and underrepresentation in mainstream recovery spaces make the impact of content like this even more severe.
Body-positive alternatives to SkinnyTok
Whilst it’s a great step for the trend and hashtag to be banned on TikTok, I worry the damage has been done. It’s also important to recognise that SkinnyTok is merely one of many negative messages in social media that encourages the thin-agenda and encourages people to question their body image based on societal pressures.
The antidote to toxic trends like #SkinnyTok is to flood the feed with affirming, inclusive, and realistic representations of bodies, health and nutrition. Try to engage with content that’s about #BodyPositivity, #BodyNeutrality, or #SelfCompassion.
You can also curate your digital environment by:
- Following creators who promote body acceptance and mental health
- Using the ‘Not Interested’ option to train the algorithm. If you mark this content like this it will stop showing you that content, as well as related content that might also be triggering
- Scheduling screen-free time or digital detox days
What you can do
If you or someone you know is struggling with content like this:
- Talk to someone you trust, such as a friend, therapist, or support group
- Reach out for help. Exposure to triggering content is not a failure, it’s a sign that boundaries and support may need to be re-established.
At Orri, we see the bigger picture
Recovery isn’t just about food. It’s also about healing your relationship with your body, your identity, and the world around you – including the digital one. Our team works with clients to build resilience, supporting them to set healthy boundaries and reconnect with themselves in a compassionate, grounded way.
So ‘Skinny’ may be trending, but recovery is enduring. If you’re finding your feed more triggering than inspiring, know that you’re not alone. You deserve content and care that lifts you up, not pulls you down.
If you need support, our team at Orri is here to listen.
We’re here to help
If you or someone you care about is struggling, get in touch with Orri’s team. We’re here to listen, advise, and offer a safe space for recovery.
