Khaberni - An Australian study revealed the impact of fitness and dietary supplement content on the "TikTok" platform in shaping young people's views on their bodies and health behavior.
This content could lead in just a few minutes to decreased satisfaction with fitness and nutrition, and increased desire to use muscle-building supplements.
This study, conducted by Flinders University, is among the first to directly test the impact of watching "TikTok" content on youth perceptions of their bodies and health intentions.
The study included more than 280 youths aged between 17 and 30 years, who were asked to watch short clips for only three minutes on "TikTok". These clips varied between fitness content, promotion of dietary supplements, and travel content unrelated to health or sports, before asking them to evaluate their view of their bodies, fitness, nutrition, and their desire to use muscle-building supplements.
The results showed that participants who viewed idealized fitness or dietary supplement content felt less satisfied with their bodies and nutrition compared to those who viewed travel content, and their desire to use creatine, a common supplement for building muscle, increased. The impact of fitness content was particularly clear, as it reduced satisfaction levels and increased interest in supplements even more than content directly focused on them.
Dr. Neveli Pious, the lead researcher, said the results show how quickly young people are influenced by this type of content, explaining that "just a few minutes of exposure to ideal fitness or supplement content is enough to change men's views of their bodies and increase their desire to look for products that promise quick muscle mass increases."
Professor Ivanka Pritchard, a body image expert, clarified that the issue does not relate to the duration of phone use as much as it relates to the quality of recurrent content such as ideal bodies, supplement advertisements, and fitness clips that may promote muscle dysmorphia, a diagnosable psychological condition.
She added that some workout content may be more impactful than direct advertisements for supplements, because it might lead users to believe they need additional products to meet the displayed standards.
The study showed that this effect was strongest among young people who had a high desire to build muscles, as they were more likely to be dissatisfied with their diet and more interested in supplements.
The results also revealed that social comparison plays an important role, as comparing oneself with ideal bodies in videos is linked to decreased satisfaction and increased interest in muscle-building products.
The researchers said that social comparison is an influential factor in healthy behavior, but it is often overlooked, especially on image-based platforms like "TikTok".
They also emphasized that not all fitness content is harmful, but young people need better tools to critically assess health messages, as these messages often exaggerate benefits and downplay risks.
The researchers concluded by stressing the importance of enhancing media literacy and developing more responsible practices on social media, noting that what seems like simple motivational content can quickly turn into psychological pressure and unhealthy behaviors if not critically understood.
