After posting a “looksmaxxing” video, Imeh, who’s Black, says he acquired racist feedback, together with ones telling him to “simply be white.” Upon realizing that the group was “poisonous and racist,” Imeh pivoted to anti-looksmaxxing content material after which chanced on “SkinnyTok” and pro-eating dysfunction communities on X.
“It’s approach simpler to search out SkinnyTok, consuming dysfunction TikTok, than restoration,” Imeh stated. “I went for a unique strategy, telling them the uncomfortable side effects and what might occur for those who’re not consuming.”
Imeh’s movies point out extra excessive potential well being outcomes of consuming problems, like organ failure and hair loss. However he additionally generally mocks the messaging present in pro-eating dysfunction communities. In a single TikTok, he’s consuming with a textual content overlay that claims “none of your folks are gonna be jealous that your Ed made you appear to be a skeleton child decide up the fork.”
Imeh says he’s not trolling, however stating “literal info” that he doesn’t sugarcoat. “One factor I seen in Gen Z, particularly my era, is that they may solely cease doing one thing in the event that they’re embarrassed by it,” he says.
“I received lots of people emailing me and DMing me like ‘Stephen you’ve helped me a lot with my consuming dysfunction.’” He has over 70,000 followers, lots of whom started following him after he took on consuming dysfunction communities.
Pillepich says she will see a contemporary, “chronically on-line” strategy working to redirect consideration and ideally get individuals who want it into restoration.
“Main with nuance doesn’t get folks’s consideration. It does need to be extra excessive, extra humorous, no matter it’s,” Pillepich stated. “If that will get somebody to step one of seeing a dietician, a therapist, engaged on the deeper points, then that’s nice, too.”
Breithaupt stated that content material that’s too judgmental or makes folks with consuming problems really feel ashamed might make them much less prone to get assist. “The simplest anti-ED content material tends to validate the ache beneath the dysfunction whereas nonetheless rejecting the behaviors,” she says.
“When content material creators use humor or mockery to push again towards pro-ED tradition, there’s an actual threat that viewers—particularly these actively struggling—gained’t simply see the dysfunction being criticized, they’ll really feel like they’re being mocked.”
E stated that TikTok content material like Imeh’s helped her notice how “silly” SkinnyTok was. She stated she has began watching consuming dysfunction restoration content material, as a substitute. However the algorithm nonetheless exhibits her “harsh motivation” for weight reduction along with restoration movies.
In late 2024, TikTok banned a controversial weight reduction influencer whose content material glorified excessive thinness. E thinks TikTok ought to ban extra of “SkinnyTok,” though pro-eating dysfunction communities have traditionally migrated to different platforms when that occurs.
Consuming dysfunction restoration practitioners say that posting anti-”SkinnyTok” movies on the identical platform is probably going useful, however that it’s solely a primary step.
“What I work with most individuals on is limiting social media,” Breithaupt stated. “Doing one thing else reasonably than participating in social media is extra useful towards restoration, even for those who’re watching recovery-oriented movies.”
The Nationwide Alliance for Consuming Problems Helpline offers assist, sources and details about therapy choices at 1-866-662-1235, Monday by means of Friday. You can too textual content “ALLIANCE” to 741741 in case you are experiencing a disaster to be contacted by a skilled volunteer. Extra details about consuming problems, together with different free and low-cost assist choices, may be discovered on the Nationwide Consuming Dysfunction Affiliation’s web site.