Diet pills and deception: A content analysis of weight-loss, muscle-building, and cleanse and detox supplements videos on TikTok.

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  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: Pergamon Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101090048 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1873-7358 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 14710153 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Eat Behav Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Publication: [New York, NY] : Pergamon
      Original Publication: New York, NY : Pergamon : Elsevier Science, c2000-
    • Subject Terms:
      Dietary Supplements* ; Weight Loss* ; Deception*; Humans ; Video Recording ; Diet, Reducing/psychology ; Feeding and Eating Disorders/prevention & control
    • Abstract:
      The promotion of harmful dieting-related products, including weight-loss, muscle-building, and cleanse/detox supplements, is pervasive across TikTok. Use of these products has been associated with eating pathology, and in some instances, increased risk of an eating disorder diagnosis. To inform eating disorders prevention and public health intervention, a content analysis was conducted to analyze the promotional features of the most viewed videos as of June 2022 in the U.S. across popular dieting product-related hashtags (#dietpills, #preworkout, #detox) (N = 233 videos). Investigators watched and coded videos using a codebook that captured details about featured individuals, product claims and details, and other video elements (e.g., language, use of popular music). Descriptive statistics were obtained to analyze trends within and across product hashtags. A total of 78 #dietpills, 86 #preworkout, and 69 #detox videos met study criteria. Videos promoting weight-loss and cleanse/detox products overwhelmingly featured feminine-presenting (70.5 % and 71 %, respectively) and thin (35.9 % and 44.9 %) individuals, while #preworkout video subjects were mostly masculine-presenting (73.3 %) and muscular (61.6 %). Most did not disclose their credentials (93.6 %) nor identify whether the promotion of the product was sponsored by the retailer (95.7 %). The vast majority of videos (97 %) did not provide any scientific evidence to support health- and appearance-related claims. The most popular videos promoting dieting-related supplements on TikTok overwhelmingly make unsubstantiated health claims, posing substantial risks for social media users who are vulnerable to their usage and associated health risks, including engagement in disordered eating.
      Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All other authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
      (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
    • Contributed Indexing:
      Keywords: Advertising; Content analysis; Dietary supplements; Eating disorders; Social media
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20240825 Date Completed: 20241130 Latest Revision: 20241130
    • Publication Date:
      20241204
    • Accession Number:
      10.1016/j.eatbeh.2024.101911
    • Accession Number:
      39182366