TikTok Drives Diet Choices for Millennials, Gen Z

Social media platforms, particularly TikTok, play a crucial role in influencing dietary choices among younger generations. While these platforms can encourage healthier eating habits, they also pose significant risks, particularly regarding the accuracy of nutritional information.

Social media impacts how younger generations, such as Gen Z and Millennials, make decisions about their diet. Researchers from Aston University found that individuals who followed healthy eating accounts on social media for just two weeks showed increased consumption of fruits and vegetables while reducing their intake of junk food. However, despite social media’s potential to promote better nutrition, its negative effects on these generations have also been well-documented.

Content related to food and weight loss on TikTok can, at times, foster a harmful diet culture as it often lacks the input of experts. A survey conducted by MyFitnessPal and Dublin City University revealed that most diet and nutrition trends on TikTok deviate from established public health guidelines. Among the 2,000 Millennial and Gen-Z TikTok users surveyed, 57% reported being influenced by or experimenting with nutrition trends they encountered on the platform.

Research has further shown that exposure to pro-anorexia content, even for as little as 10 minutes, can have immediate negative effects on body image and reinforce unhealthy appearance ideals.

In Mexico, the influence of social media on dietary behavior is particularly concerning due to the high prevalence of eating disorders among adolescents. According to the Ministry of Health, about 25% of adolescents experience some form of eating disorder, often associated with mental health conditions, yet fewer than 10% of those affected receive treatment.  

In response to these challenges, healthcare professionals are increasingly using social media platforms to counteract misleading information. Many dietitians now advocate for a shift away from traditional dieting, using TikTok to share evidence-based information through popular trends and engaging content. This movement aims to challenge what they describe as "diet culture," which prioritizes size over health and promotes restrictive behaviors rather than sustainable lifestyle changes.

Moreover, some social media platforms are taking steps to manage health-related content more responsibly, according to Enrique Culebro, CEO, Central Media. Facebook and Instagram, for example, have introduced stricter health policies to ensure that shared medical information is accurate and safe. Similarly, TikTok has updated its community guidelines to better address mental and behavioral health content.