SkinnyTok: The Good, the Bad, and Everything In Between
Exploring the latest TikTok trend shaping body image and wellness
Growing Up with an Ideal That Wasn’t Ours
It’s the early 2000s. You’re somewhere between five and eight years old, watching Miss Universe on a chunky TV. Every woman on screen has more in common than just a beautiful face. Each one is slim, toned, and seemingly flawless. To a chubby six-year-old like me, they didn’t just look different. They looked unreal. But somewhere in that moment, they became the goal.
It wasn’t just one TV show that made me chase a smaller body. It was countless ads, movies, and the quiet reinforcement from people in my life. People who didn’t know any better, either. I was never “too big” or “too small.” I was a healthy medium most of my life. But I couldn’t see it that way. My body always felt like it was the wrong size.
Looking back, I realize how much time I spent worrying about it. Time I could’ve used to create something meaningful. But the truth is, I had to go through it to get where I am now.
Skinny Isn’t Evil, But the Obsession Might Be
Let me be clear, wanting to lose fat isn’t a bad goal. It’s not shallow, it’s not anti-feminist, and it doesn’t mean you hate yourself. But obsessing over having the smallest possible body? That’s a different conversation.
Back in the day, we had Kate Moss whispering, “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.” Today, teens have SkinnyTok, a niche on TikTok where users motivate each other to lose weight.
I spent a few evenings scrolling through it, expecting the worst. Surprisingly? It wasn’t all bad. But it’s not all good either, and depending on your relationship with food and your body, it can mess with your head.
What Even Is SkinnyTok?
It’s tricky to pinpoint exactly when it began, but SkinnyTok started gaining traction in 2024. One side of the trend is heavily inspired by outdated and toxic beauty ideals, the “heroin chic” aesthetic, extreme calorie counting, and glorifying underweight bodies. That’s the harmful side.
But there’s another version of SkinnyTok that’s refreshingly practical. These creators talk about balanced eating, portion control, and intuitive movement, not punishment. No calorie-counting apps, no skipping meals. Just mindful choices. And honestly, I like that part.
Why Is It Trending Again?
Trends are cyclical. After years of body positivity, there’s been a shift in certain corners of the internet back toward thinness. And to be honest? I kind of get why this is happening.
The body positivity movement failed us. It started strong, but it evolved into promoting only big bodies rather than a range. While health doesn’t always correlate with size, it’s okay to say that being overweight comes with health concerns, and shouldn’t be the goal.
When the body positivity movement emerged, I was kind of excited. But pretty soon, what stood out to me was the lack of “medium-sized” bodies, a size range most of us fall into. I saw very skinny girls and plus-size models, but not much in between. I don’t have an issue with seeing a plus-size body on a fashion runway; I just want to see more mediums as well, since we pretend to promote body positivity. Also, fashion and health are two separate fields, so let’s not put them together, and show more body types on the runway.
Do We Need SkinnyTok?
I don’t think we need anything from TikTok. But instead of trying to cancel trends like this, which will grow anyway, we need to learn how to filter the information.
My biggest concern is the impact on younger viewers. Teens are impressionable, even when they think they’re not. But the solution isn’t to police every piece of content. It’s to raise kids with critical thinking and confidence, so they can scroll without internalizing everything.
As for us adults who have a complicated relationship with food and our bodies, we can create better content, but we should also work on our triggers. What triggers you is your responsibility. Why do you let someone talking about eating less trigger you?
You might agree or disagree, but why consume the extra energy? Go do your thing.
No one cares what body size you are comfortable with. That’s for you to decide and be ok with. I appreciate when professionals call out creators promoting unhealthy eating habits, but I would not put everyone who is part of skinnytok in the same pot.
I found some of the advice quite practical and simple. As someone who is still working on her binge eating habits, a lot of girls were not triggering, they were honest. And it made me think about my eating habits as a detached observer and admit that I can go overboard, I indulge too often, I need to work on knowing my fullness cues, and that my body reflects my food choices.
You can love your body while wanting to change it, or you can love it without wanting any change. As long as you are healthy, just enjoy it. We don’t all need to have the same goals.
So… Where Do We Draw the Line?
When I see a girl promoting eating mainly rice crackers, salad, protein drinks, and a lot of coffee while in a calorie deficit, I immediately mark the post as something I don’t want to see. In my view, the quality of food takes over the quantity. Nourishment first, aesthetics after.
But if someone talks about how they’ve learned to eat until 80% satisfied and how movement helps their mental health, I’m interested. Being mindful of how big your portions are when everything comes extra large creates freedom. It’s about being intentional, not restrictive.
Here’s where I personally draw the line:
Women sharing healthy, realistic habits based on self-awareness and self-respect. Yes, please! People glamorizing disordered eating and obsessing over size like it’s their whole personality. Not for me.
You Can Want Change and Still Love Yourself
Yes, you can love your body and still want to see it change.
No, wanting to lose a few pounds doesn’t mean you hate yourself.
And yes, food can be joyful without being the center of your life.
These days, it’s easy to feel like we need to be either body-positive or weight-conscious, but we’re allowed to be both. Your body, your goals, your boundaries.
Let’s allow each other space to find the best version of ourselves without judgment.
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