The Dangers of TikTok’s ‘What I Eat in a Day’ Trend
Jessica Singer | Friday, April 2, 2021
As COVID-19 cases rise and fall, one thing remains constant during the pandemic – the popularity of the social media platform TikTok. TikTok, a mobile app that allows users to create and share 15- to 60-second videos, is currently the most downloaded iOS app in the world with more than 850 million active users. According to 2021 Business of Apps statistics, 60 per cent of TikTok users are from Generation Z and spend an average of 52 minutes a day on the app.
For many of today’s youth, the app is simply a source of entertainment and social interaction. For others, the app can also be a source of harm.
A new trend called “What I eat in a day” has emerged on TikTok in recent months. As the trend’s name indicates, these videos consist of TikTok users showing audiences everything they eat in a given day. The videos typically begin with a full-length picture of the user’s body, followed by video clips of the snacks, drinks and meals they consume.
For 23-year-old Madison Hargreaves, the steady flow of “What I eat in a day” videos popping up on her TikTok feed led her to delete the app. “At first, I thought, maybe only a few people are participating in this trend and I could avoid it by being mindful of who I follow,” says Hargreaves. “But I kept seeing the same types of videos over and over again.”
Hargreaves volunteers with Hope’s Eating Disorder Support, a not-for-profit organization based in London, Ont. that provides resource support for individuals affected by eating disorders. Before finding Hope’s, Hargreaves suffered with disordered eating, which she says runs in her family. “I experienced a lot of heartbreak [watching these videos], because it’s sad and truly gut-wrenching that individuals compare themselves and their bodies to others on social media,” says Hargreaves.
“If we don’t look like [people on social media], we’re told we’re not good enough, which creates a lot of shame.”
According to the National Initiative for Eating Disorders, approximately one million Canadians suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. Eating disorders are nearly 11 times more common in women than men, and twice as common in people aged 16 to 20 than any other age demographic.
Since about 60 per cent of all TikTok users are young women, Kelsey Sick, a doctoral student in the school of kinesiology and exercise psychology at Western University, says “What I eat in a day” videos are reaching a demographic of women who are particularly vulnerable. “Adolescents are very impressionable – this is the age where you start to create and develop your sense of self,” says Sick, whose research interests include body image and mental health.
“So, if young women see that someone is thin and successful because they eat a certain way, they may begin to cut calories and restrict their eating to try to act and look the same as the people they see online.”
The majority of women who post “What I eat in a day” videos are white, young, thin and able-bodied, meaning the majority of content emerging from this trend is not reflective of diverse body shapes and sizes.
Sick also says most of the women who post those videos follow restrictive “no dairy, no gluten or no meat diets” that may not be healthy or sustainable for young women whose bodies are growing and changing.
As a result, young women are taught to compare themselves to a body standard that is unrealistic, unhealthy and unattainable.
“This ideal body type is constantly trying to be reached, when in reality, a specific weight will appear different in every person because all bodies are unique,” explains Hargreaves. “The eating habits and standards of the people who post ‘What I eat in a day’ content don’t work for all individuals.” Sick says instead of pressuring themselves to look a certain way, young women should be taught how to practice self-compassion. While it’s easy to offer words of wisdom to one’s family or friends, turning inward and showing oneself the same sort of compassion and self-love is valuable when one is feeling down.
Hargreaves similarly urges young women who are being negatively affected by trends like “What I eat in a day” to find a supportive friend, family member or peer to whom they can voice their concerns. She also suggests having a comfort kit, which could include snacks, blankets or music, on hand when scrolling through social media to help maintain a positive mindset.
If someone is continually triggered by a particular type of video on social media, Hargreaves ultimately suggests deleting the app and finding another source of entertainment.
“I’ve learned other ways of making myself feel desirable and appreciating my own worth and loving myself,” says Hargreaves.
“TikTok trends [shouldn’t] get in the way of that.”
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