It is one of the most used apps by people under 25.
Since its creation in 2016, TikTok has not stopped sprouting trends of all kinds, and nutrition has been no exception to the rule.
But among the flow of information delivered, it is not always easy to differentiate between those that come from a reliable source or from amateurs.
Thus, only 53% of creators of nutritional content present themselves as health professionals on their profile, reports a study by the
American Society for Nutrition
published in June 2022. Beyond being the relay of injunctions to thinness , non-specialists promote advice that is sometimes useless, misleading or simply dangerous to health.
Decryption of the most popular.
Read alsoDrink 4 liters of water a day: the dangerous TikTok trend
An anti-diabetic drug
"#Ozempic": behind this famous hashtag on the social network hides the name of an injectable drug, prescribed for type 2 diabetics. weight loss videos with over 335 million views.
This trend has become particularly popular in Australia, where the prescription is more facilitated, to the point of causing a shortage of stock last June.
To warn of the danger represented by this fashion, the health authorities published a press release in August and recalled that Ozempic should only be prescribed to patients for whom the use of the product was recommended.
@2sistersonajourney
March 2nd to June and we are down 9.5 kilos.
#weightloss, #ozempic, #fyp
original sound - Victoria
According to Faïza Bossy, general practitioner and nutritionist, this is one of the most dangerous trends conveyed by the platform.
The taking of Ozempic being reserved for type 2 diabetics, if one is not concerned by this pathology, “one is exposed to side effects, such as digestive disorders, nausea, vomiting, or even diarrhea” , she explains.
Other more serious complications can also occur.
“There is a risk of dehydration or inflammation of the pancreas, warns the doctor.
And since the pancreas makes insulin, if its function is impaired, you can become diabetic.”
Fortunately, as the nutritionist doctor points out, this drug is not as easily accessible in France.
“It must be prescribed by an endocrinologist”, specifies Faïza Bossy.
In video, to have a healthy brain, here is the diet to follow
A (too) salty cocktail
Another popular tip from the platform touts the mixture of Himalayan salt and baking soda, diluted in water.
This cocktail, invented in September 2021 by Albert Gramoff, sports coach with more than 380,000 subscribers (@yodatheycallme on TikTok), promises you fewer pounds and cellulite.
@yodatheycallme
yes it's that simple #cellulite #fypシ #weightloss
mmmmmm - Blondychain
If dietary baking soda, ingested in a simple mouthwash, has real benefits, namely an improvement in the transit and whiteness of our teeth via a mouthwash, "no scientific study confirms any slimming effect", decides the nutritionist doctor.
In addition, consuming this cocktail with a high salt content presents health risks, notes Jérémy Gorskie, dietician nutritionist, specialist in eating behavior.
"We recommend consuming 5g per day," he says.
Beyond this threshold, this has consequences for the digestive system.
"If baking soda helps improve the feeling of satiety, when it is consumed in excess, as here with this cocktail, it promotes the appearance of belching and gas, thus causing heaviness in the stomach. abdomen, abounds Dr Faïza Bossy.
In the worst-case scenario, you are ultimately at risk of developing kidney stones, or even kidney failure.”
Read alsoThe 5 dietary tips not to follow when you want to lose weight or be less tired
In the eyes of Jérémy Gorskie, also author of the book
From the Head to the Plate
(1) and the Instagram account @menthe_banane, it is useless to bet everything on a miracle drink to hope to shed a few pounds.
“If you drink this mixture without changing your diet and without exercising, you won't lose weight,” he summarizes.
Fruits and ice cubes in the bowl
No more cereal bowls, make way for fruit bowls.
The "nature's cereal" trend, launched by the TikTok @natures_food account in February 2021 and followed by thousands of subscribers, invites people to replace milk with coconut water and our traditional cereals with fruit.
And bonus, to bring crunch, it would be necessary, according to their promoters, to add ice cubes to this preparation.
@lowcal_sal
I was actually surprised by this... #naturescereal#healthyeating#caloriedeficit#weightloss
Monkeys Spinning Monkeys - Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
In principle, this advice mixes some good nutrition advice, concedes Dr Faïza Bossy.
First, it eliminates commercial cereals, which are often too fatty, too sweet and sometimes too salty.
"Replacing cereals with fruits remains a good alternative for weight loss because fruits provide sugars with a slow glycemic index and promote transit thanks to their fibers, provided they are eaten raw and in season", nuance- she.
But before plunging your spoon into this bowl, beware of excess, reminds the nutritionist doctor.
“Eating too much fruit promotes excessive consumption of sugars.
If you eat three mangoes for breakfast, you might as well eat cereal,” she quips.
A meal that is too sweet also risks increasing cravings, warns dietician nutritionist Jérémy Gorskie.
“If this technique tricks our stomach into filling it with water, it lacks protein and fat.
This will affect our nervous balance and give rise to impulses that will ultimately make us eat a whole packet of cake to counterbalance, ”he laments.
Read alsoBreakfast cereals and snack cookies: the worst and the best, according to “60 million consumers”
The “weight loss dance”
Sport isn't spared from the TikTok craze either.
On the social network, a "weight loss dance" was popularized in March 2021 by a sports coach, @janny14906, whose account has 4.3 million subscribers.
In practice, the exercise consists of moving your pelvis back and forth in an exaggerated and dynamic way, as quickly as possible.
According to its instigator, this movement burns belly fat and ultimately promotes slimming.
@janny14906
As long as you enjoy the skinny come together.#exercise#fitues#abdominales#abs#gym#fit#workout#ejercicio#core#ejerciciosencasa
原聲 - user1468626853971
As Faïza Bossy recognizes, this technique has the merit of promoting sports practice.
On the other hand, “no dance, practiced alone, has shown results on weight loss, nuance the doctor nutritionist.
This expenditure will be rewarded only if the food intake that accompanies it is balanced.
As for the “flat stomach” goal that the influencer promises, the health professional is also not convinced.
“If you want to have a flat stomach in the long term, you have to work your deep abdominal muscles, which this dance does not do.
For better results, it is better to turn to cladding exercises,” she suggests.
Read alsoHula hoop, rollerblading, aerobics: how about building muscle while having fun?
For his part, the dietitian nutritionist Jérémy Gorskie considers that this trend goes against the benevolence towards his body.
“When you go back to sport, you have to go gradually.
Here, it's quite brutal, he judges.
Moreover, the wrong message is conveyed.
We don't dance to lose weight but to clear our heads."
80% of my patients with eating disorders are because of social networks
Jérémy Gorskie, dietitian nutritionist
According to the specialist, the common problem with all these trends is that they affect adolescents and young adults who, after watching these videos, remember that "to exist, you have to lose weight."
And the nutritionist dietitian speaks knowingly: "80% of my patients with eating disorders are because of social networks," he laments.
“There is no miracle treatment, nor miracle food for weight loss,” insists Dr. Faïza Bossy.
If this is our goal, "we must adopt an appropriate nutritional diet, learn to better manage our emotions and practice regular sports," concludes the health professional.
(1)
From head to plate
, by Jérémy Gorskie, First editions, 287 pages, €16.95.