TikTok Shuts Down #SkinnyTok: Everything You Need to Know About the Harmful Trend

The controversial segment of TikTok known as “SkinnyTok” was where users endorsed extreme thinness, masquerading it as health and lifestyle tips.

Gen Z influencer Liv Schmidt, a prominent figure in the #SkinnyTok community, gained internet popularity by promoting “skinny girl hacks.”

Her videos, which often featured low-calorie daily diets, raised alarms about their potential to normalize eating disorders.

After a ban from TikTok in 2024 for breaking community guidelines, Schmidt returned under a different username.

Despite her ban, SkinnyTok content persisted until June 2025. At its peak, the hashtag had over 74,000 related videos, many depicting severe calorie deficits and frequent body checks as users recorded their diminishing figures.

Emily Van Eck, a registered dietitian, labeled the trend as “dangerous” and an “extreme” approach to weight loss and health.

“Celebrating thinness as a standard of morality, health, or self-control is detrimental to one’s physical, emotional, and mental health,” she explained to Healthline.

“Dieting is a significant risk factor for developing eating disorders, and the risk increases the younger one starts. The fact that these videos predominantly feature teens and young adults heightens the concern,” she added.

Van Eck also pointed out the negative portrayal of essential macronutrients, like carbohydrates and fats, as a major concern.

“Our bodies require these nutrients,” she remarked.

Lindsie Meek, who heads HumanMend, a psychotherapy clinic in New York specializing in eating disorders and anxiety, commented that the trend reinforces damaging diet culture, celebrates unhealthy thinness, and sets unrealistic body standards.

“The ‘What I eat in a day’ videos are particularly damaging as they imply that everyone has the same nutritional needs,” she told Healthline.

“These posts fail to consider individual differences like genetics and specific health requirements.”

Some influencers who supported the SkinnyTok trend promoted diets with extremely low calorie counts. Both experts interviewed by Healthline agreed that such severe calorie restriction can lead to significant mental and physical health issues.

“At 800 calories a day, it’s almost impossible to meet your body’s nutritional needs,” stated Van Eck.

“Common deficiencies include iron, B12, and calcium, leading to symptoms like fatigue, mood swings, poor sleep, and muscle loss. Long-term effects include immune system issues, infertility due to hypothalamic amenorrhea, and bone density loss,” she explained.

From a psychological standpoint, Meek highlighted that extreme dieting could cause mood instability and obsessive thoughts about food and body image.

Many SkinnyTok videos portrayed extreme thinness as a health ideal, a narrative both dangerous and misleading.

“Weight alone is not a reliable health indicator,” Meek emphasized. “Health encompasses physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects, not just physical appearance.

“People in thin bodies may be healthy or unhealthy, as can those in larger bodies,” she continued.

Meek also stated that genuine health is not about body size but includes overall well-being in various aspects of life.

Not all forms of weight loss are harmful. There are effective, sustainable ways to achieve a healthy weight, though the vast array of advice online can make it hard to distinguish between what’s beneficial and what’s excessive.

Van Eck concurred.

“The distinction between intentional weight loss and eating disorders can be vague, especially in online environments where extreme measures are often disguised as wellness and attract significant attention due to their controversial nature,” she observed.

For Van Eck, changes that support health feel like they’re part of a wider self-care practice. “They are flexible and based on nourishment, not fear or punishment,” she noted.

Conversely, disordered eating often manifests as strict dietary rules, guilt around food, and an obsessive need to control.

“If someone becomes anxious about deviating from their dietary plan, skips meals to ‘earn’ food, or obsesses over food and their body image, that’s a sign of disorder, even if it seems normalized online,” Van Eck explained.

In case of uncertainty, Meek suggested evaluating how these behaviors affect everyday life.

“If weight loss is a goal, it’s crucial to regularly check how flexible you are and your anxiety levels when plans change, as disordered behaviors often are rigid and cause distress,” she advised.

“Disordered eating generally interferes with personal relationships, work, and the enjoyment of life, whereas balanced approaches improve overall well-being,” she added.

Despite advances in the body positivity movement, mainstream culture still often equates thinness with health, a notion prevalent on social media.

Van Eck pointed out that part of the problem lies in misconceptions about what constitutes a healthy body weight.

“Healthy weight is a problematic term. The metrics we use, like BMI, are deeply flawed and don’t consider natural body diversity,” she stated.

“A more functional definition of healthy weight is the range your body naturally settles at when you’re eating adequately, engaging in enjoyable physical activity, and avoiding the cycle of restriction and obsession,” she elaborated.

There are many evidence-based, sustainable ways to reach this state. “If long-term health is the goal, the best approach is to focus on behaviors rather than weight,” she advised.

“This includes eating regular, balanced meals that provide enough energy, fiber, protein, and fat to ensure fullness and satisfaction,” she continued.

It also involves listening to hunger signals, enjoying physical activity, and addressing factors like sleep, stress, and emotional health.

Another supportive strategy is to move away from the notion that certain foods are inherently good or bad.

“Almost everyone has been influenced by toxic diet culture to some extent. Healing involves rejecting the morality of food by challenging the idea that some foods are better than others,” Meek explained.

While trends like SkinnyTok can perpetuate harmful views on weight loss and health, true wellness is comprehensive.

“Linking thinness directly with health overlooks the complexities of human health and perpetuates weight bias,” Van Eck remarked.

“While it’s natural to care about appearance, health is more accurately reflected in how you nourish yourself, manage stress, sleep, and connect with others, rather than just by your size,” she concluded.