Health
‘SkinnyTok’ weight-loss trend could lead to food deprivation, experts caution
Social media can be a great source of fitness, nutrition and wellness tips — but it also has some potentially harmful content.
Enter “SkinnyTok,” a popular weight-loss trend making the rounds on TikTok.
Creators are pairing the hashtag with videos that share various ways to lose weight, many of them based on the goal of getting as thin as possible in a short amount of time.
CHICK-FIL-A FOOD AND EMPLOYEES HELPED MAN LOSE WEIGHT AND CHANGE HIS LIFE
As of April 26, there were more than 60,000 videos from creators talking about SkinnyTok. One of those is Mandana Zarghami, 25, a business owner and influencer in Miami, Florida.
“What you eat in private will show in public,” Zarghami told her followers in a recent video.
The influencer spoke with Fox News Digital about her perception of the worldwide SkinnyTok trend.
“There’s an emphasis on portion control, prioritizing daily movement and knowing what foods will make you feel better from the inside out and more,” she said.
The creator acknowledged, however, that some of the content could be triggering for those who have battled disordered eating.
Mandana Zarghami, a TikTok creator, acknowledged that some of the SkinnyTok content could be triggering for those who have battled disordered eating. (Mandana Zarghami/TikTok)
“While some content under the SkinnyTok trend can promote motivation around health and wellness, it can also unintentionally glamorize unhealthy habits or unrealistic body standards if you’re following the wrong influencer or content creator,” Zarghami cautioned.
At the same time, she said, “you control what you consume.”
“What you eat in private will show in public.”
“It’s a little hard to be sensitive to each group, because a lot of the people who talk about SkinnyTok on their platforms also battled disordered eating and overcame it with healthy lifestyle choices,” Zarghami added.
Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon and longevity expert, said he has witnessed the “devastating consequences” of extreme thinness firsthand, including women with fractured bones caused by malnutrition.
“This is a growing crisis, and it is being dangerously celebrated on social media under hashtags like #SkinnyTok,” he told Fox News Digital.
“It’s a little hard to be sensitive to each group, because a lot of the people who talk about SkinnyTok on their platforms also battled disordered eating and overcame it with healthy lifestyle choices,” said influencer Mandana Zarghami (right). (iStock/TikTok-Mandana Zarghami)
“When young people chase after extreme thinness through starvation diets, they invite frailty into their lives. The body, deprived of caloric energy, becomes extremely fragile.”
In teenagers and young adults, malnutrition disrupts hormones, weakens immunity, impairs cognitive function and can cause lasting damage to their still-developing brains, according to Osborn.
FIRST GLP-1 PILL FOR WEIGHT LOSS, DIABETES SHOWS SUCCESS IN LATE-PHASE TRIAL
Physical effects of malnutrition can include hair loss, reduced bone density and, in severe cases, irreversible structural damage, he added.
Low body weight or minimal body fat does not equate to good health, the doctor said.
“Starvation is not a virtue – it is an abandonment of the body’s nutritional needs,” he said. “The SkinnyTok trend preys on impressionable youth, particularly young women, encouraging them to shrink rather than thrive.”
Low body weight or minimal body fat does not equate to good health, one doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
Rather than focusing on “extreme thinness,” Osborn called for a focus on building muscle, which he described as the “cornerstone of vitality.”
“In older adults, muscle loss — or sarcopenia — is a medical warning sign linked to increased risks of falls, fractures, hospitalizations, cognitive decline and even mortality,” he cautioned.
“Muscle loss doesn’t just weaken the body — it erodes the mind, hastening the onset and progression of dementia. The body and the brain are interconnected, and when one suffers, so does the other.”
“Muscles are your shield against disease and decline. Being lean and strong, not thin and frail, is the true measure of health,” one doctor said. (iStock)
To those embracing the SkinnyTok trend, Osborn recommends that they shift the focus to building muscle.
“Muscles are your shield against disease and decline. Being lean and strong, not thin and frail, is the true measure of health,” he said.
‘THE CARNIVORE DIET SAVED MY LIFE AFTER DECADES OF ANOREXIA’
“Instead of glorifying starvation, we should teach our youth to nourish their bodies and minds, build resilience through muscle gained by strength training, and prioritize bodily function over any short-lived trend.”
Dr. Jillian Lampert, vice president of The Emily Program, an eating disorder treatment center based in Minnesota, also called out the potential risks of the SkinnyTok trend.
“It is a vicious cycle that quickly spirals from external messaging to internal criticism.”
“This content dangerously glorifies content that encourages people to take drastic measures to change their bodies,” she told Fox News Digital. “It also further ensnares people already struggling with their body image and thoughts of size and shape, reinforcing the notion that being thin at all costs is the norm.”
The behaviors in many of the videos are “often extreme” and highly limit foods or food groups, Lampert noted.
LITTLE-KNOWN EATING DISORDER NEARLY STARVED A 9-YEAR-OLD: ‘IT WAS TORMENTING HER’
The algorithms used by social media platforms make the content even more dangerous by amplifying the messages, according to the expert.
“Looking at one TikTok with even some less toxic body image content will teach the algorithms to send you more and more and more until your feed has become an avalanche of toxic content,” Lampert warned.
As people scroll through countless videos of “ideal” bodies and lifestyles, this often leads them to conclude that they’re not thin enough or attractive enough.
“This content dangerously glorifies content that encourages people to take drastic measures to change their bodies,” one expert told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“Continual assessment of appearance and eating habits can make a person hypercritical and hyper-fixated on perceived flaws, thus fueling the cycle of eating less, which often leads to overeating and overexercising, which often leads to fatigue and loss of control around food,” said Lampert.
“It is a vicious cycle that quickly spirals from external messaging to internal criticism.”
Dr. Anastasia Rairigh, a Tennessee-based family physician and obesity medicine specialist at the virtual health platform PlushCare, warned that extreme weight-loss behaviors can be deadly.
“As a person severely limits their caloric intake, the body struggles to maintain the correct electrolyte balance,” she shared with Fox News Digital.
“When a person’s electrolytes are severely unbalanced, they can experience heart arrythmias or, in severe cases, cardiac arrest. Even if a person does not experience this, severe food deprivation can lead to damage to the heart, bones and brain.”
“Many of us that promote SkinnyTok focus on proper nutrition, walking over 10,000 steps a day and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle,” a creator told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
People who deprive themselves of food may also notice effects on cognition, mood and sleep, Rairigh warned.
“Modeling a healthy attitude toward food is critically important to combating the negative influence of toxic diet culture,” she said, recommending that people focus on food as a source of energy rather than an enemy.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“Supporting young people to focus on activities and interests outside social media has been shown to be helpful as well,” she said.
“Encourage and facilitate positive activities in the real world as a counter to time spent on social media.”
“Modeling a healthy attitude toward food is critically important to combating the negative influence of toxic diet culture.”
Those who are showing signs of disordered eating should see a doctor, Rairigh advised.
“While disordered eating is deadly, there is hope and treatment. Do not be afraid to reach out for help.”
Zarghami, the TikTok creator, reiterated the importance of setting positive examples on social media.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
“Many of us that promote SkinnyTok focus on proper nutrition, walking over 10,000 steps a day and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle,” she told Fox News Digital.
“It’s so important to approach these trends with balance, focus on overall well-being rather than appearance, and encourage sustainable, nourishing choices that support both physical and mental health.”
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A new study suggests that middle-aged men may be more vulnerable to faster biological aging, potentially linked to exposure to “forever chemicals.”
The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging, examined how perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, could impact aging at the cellular level.
PFAS are synthetic chemicals commonly used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, water-resistant fabrics and other consumer products, the study noted.
Their chemical structure makes them highly resistant to breaking down, allowing them to accumulate in water, soil and the human body.
Chinese researchers analyzed blood samples from 326 adults enrolled in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2000.
A new study suggests that middle-aged men could face accelerated biological aging at the cellular level due to exposure to PFAS. (iStock)
The researchers measured levels of 11 PFAS compounds in participants’ blood and used DNA-based “epigenetic clocks” — tools that analyze chemical changes to DNA to estimate biological age — to determine how quickly their bodies were aging at the cellular level, the study stated.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Two compounds, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), were detected in 95% of participants.
Higher concentrations of those chemicals were associated with faster biological aging in men of certain age groups, but not in women.
“People should not panic.”
The compounds most strongly linked to accelerated aging were not the PFAS chemicals that typically receive the most public attention, the researchers noted.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“The associations were strongest in adults aged 50 to 64, particularly in men,” Dr. Xiangwei Li, professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and the study’s corresponding author, told Fox News Digital.
“While this does not establish that PFAS cause aging, it suggests that these widely present ‘forever chemicals’ may be linked to molecular changes related to long-term health and aging.”
The study found that two of the compounds were detected in 95% of participants, and higher levels were linked to faster biological aging in men ages 50–64. (iStock)
Midlife may represent a more sensitive biological period, when the body becomes more vulnerable to age-related stressors, according to the researchers.
Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, may influence biological aging markers, potentially increasing vulnerability to environmental pollutants.
While Li said “people should not panic,” she does recommend looking for reasonable ways to reduce exposure.
That might mean checking local drinking water reports, using certified water filters designed to reduce PFAS, and limiting the use of stain- or grease-resistant products when alternatives are available.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
Meaningful reductions in PFAS exposure will likely depend on broader regulatory action and environmental cleanup efforts, Li added.
The researchers noted that midlife could be a particularly sensitive stage, when the body is more susceptible to stressors associated with aging. (iStock)
Study limitations
The researchers outlined several important limitations of the research, including that the findings show an association, but do not prove that PFAS directly causes accelerated aging.
“The study is cross-sectional, meaning exposure and aging markers were measured at the same time, so we cannot determine causality,” Li told Fox News Digital.
The study was also relatively small, limited to 326 adults age 50 or older, which means the findings may not apply to younger people or broader populations.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Researchers measured PFAS levels using data collected between 1999 and 2000, and today’s exposure patterns may differ.
Li added that while PFAS is known to persist in the environment and the body, these results should be validated through larger, more recent studies that follow participants over time.
Related Article
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A drug that has long been used to treat seizures has shown promise as a potential means of Alzheimer’s prevention, a new study suggests.
The anti-seizure medication, levetiracetam, was first approved by the FDA in November 1999 under the brand name Keppra as a therapy for partial-onset seizures in adults. The approval has since expanded to include children and other types of seizures.
Northwestern University researchers recently found that levetiracetam prevented the formation of toxic amyloid beta peptides, which are small protein fragments in the brain that are commonly seen in Alzheimer’s patients.
The medication was found to prevent the formation of amyloid-beta 42 in both animal models and cultured human neurons, according to the study findings, which were published in Science Translational Medicine.
The effect was also seen in post-mortem human brain tissue obtained from individuals with Down syndrome, who are at high risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
The medication was found to prevent the formation of amyloid-beta 42 in both animal models and cultured human neurons. (iStock)
“While many of the Alzheimer’s drugs currently on the market, such as lecanemab and donanemab, are approved to clear existing amyloid plaques, we’ve identified this mechanism that prevents the production of the amyloid‑beta 42 peptides and amyloid plaques,” said corresponding author Jeffrey Savas, associate professor of behavioral neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in a press release.
“Our new results uncovered new biology while also opening doors for new drug targets.”
HIDDEN BRAIN CONDITION MAY QUADRUPLE DEMENTIA RISK IN OLDER ADULTS, STUDY SUGGESTS
The brain is better able to avoid the pathway that produces toxic amyloid‑beta 42 proteins in younger years, but the aging process gradually weakens that ability, Savas noted.
“This is not a statement of disease; this is just a part of aging. But in brains developing Alzheimer’s, too many neurons go astray, and that’s when you get amyloid-beta 42 production,” he said.
The effect was also seen in post-mortem human brain tissue obtained from individuals with Down syndrome, who are at high risk for Alzheimer’s disease. (iStock)
That then leads to tau (“tangles”) — abnormal clumps of protein inside brain neurons — which can kill brain cells, trigger neuroinflammation and lead to dementia.
In order for levetiracetam to function as an Alzheimer’s blocker, high-risk patients would have to start taking it “very, very early,” Savas said — up to 20 years before elevated amyloid-beta 42 levels would be detected.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“You couldn’t take this when you already have dementia, because the brain has already undergone a number of irreversible changes and a lot of cell death,” the researcher noted.
The researchers also did a deep dive into previous human clinical data to determine whether Alzheimer’s patients who were taking the anti-seizure drug had slower cognitive decline. They reported that the patients in that category had a “significant delay” in the span from cognitive decline to death compared to those not taking the drug.
“This analysis supports the positive effect of levetiracetam to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s pathology,” the researcher said. (iStock)
“Although the magnitude of change was small (on the scale of a few years), this analysis supports the positive effect of levetiracetam to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s pathology,” Savas said.
Looking ahead, the research team aims to find people who have genetic forms of Alzheimer’s to participate in testing, Savas said.
Limitations and caveats
The study had several limitations, including that it relied on animal models and cultured cells, with no human trials conducted.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Because the study was observational in nature, it can’t prove that the medication caused the prevention of the toxic brain proteins, the researchers acknowledged.
Savas noted that levetiracetam “is not perfect,” cautioning that it breaks down in the body very quickly.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The team is currently working to create a “better version” that would last longer in the body and “better target the mechanism that prevents the production of the plaques.”
“You couldn’t take this when you already have dementia, because the brain has already undergone a number of irreversible changes and a lot of cell death.”
The medication’s common documented side effects include drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, irritability, headache, loss of appetite and nasal congestion.
It has also been linked to potential mood and behavior changes, including anxiety, depression, agitation and aggression, according to the prescribing information. In rare cases, it could lead to severe allergic reactions, skin reactions, blood disorders and suicidal ideation.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Funding for the study was provided by the National Institutes of Health and the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund.
Fox News Digital reached out to the drug manufacturer and the researchers for comment.
Related Article
Report: Lions tender K Jake Bates ERFA offer
SF scientists build robotic storm samplers to track pollutants before they reach the Bay
Public frustration grows as Dallas leaders debate billion‑dollar City Hall fix or relocation
City of Miami celebrates reopening of Flagler Street as part of beautification project
Each mile is for her miracle: This Granby mom is running the Boston Marathon with her daughter in mind
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
US submarine sinks Iranian warship by torpedo in a first since World War II
Which oil and gas facilities in the Gulf have been attacked?
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of former supreme leader, tipped to become Iran’s next head of state
Video: Senators Question Kristi Noem on ICE Immigration Tactics
Combustible Republican Senate primary in Texas heading into overtime
-
World7 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Wisconsin3 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Denver, CO1 week ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Louisiana1 week agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Florida4 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Maryland4 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Oregon5 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling