Urgent warning about ‘incredibly harmful’ hungry TikTok trend that charities fear could cause eating disorders

An alarming TikTok trend is encouraging men and teenage boys to eat as little as possible in pursuit of a chiseled jawline.

Some parts of the ‘Looksmaxxing’ trend are harmless tips for starting skin care routines, hitting the gym or improving general hygiene.

Still, experts are concerned about some videos in which men and boys brag about fasting and cutting calories.

This subgenre of the trend, called #starvemaxxing, has amassed 8 million views on TikTok. Billions of others have viewed Looksmaxxing content in general.

Eating disorder charity Beat fears the trend could be ‘incredibly harmful’, especially if someone is already struggling or at risk of an eating disorder such as anorexia.

There are different levels to Lookmaxxing, which is common on various social media platforms including Instagram and TikTok and online forums such as Reddit.

Some videos on social media show “softmaxxing,” which ranges from brushing teeth and removing body hair to “meowing,” which involves tongue exercises that supposedly help strengthen facial muscles.

More dangerous trends such as starvemaxxing encourage young men to take radical measures to improve their appearance, such as plastic surgery and extreme dieting.

Proponents believe that the way to get a chiseled jawline, regardless of genetics, is to have low body fat.

Health professionals are concerned that videos promoting the trend encourage dangerous eating habits.

In a TikTok video with the hashtag posted by @xavier1x1, who has more than 4,500 followers, he poses to show off his angular jawline with the caption “you haven’t eaten food in three days.”

A video posted by @guapo._02, who has more than 9,900 followers, also shows him clenching his jaw to show off his facial structure, with the caption “me after starvemaxxing.”

While another video posted by @ilovesapiyen, who has over 1,100 followers, shows him flexing his muscles with the caption ‘me after three days of starving’.

Accounts promoting this practice are even unrepentant when told that such content can cause eating disorders.

In a video posted by @4vaine, who has 670 followers, he responds to a comment saying he posted content that could cause anorexia by pointing the camera toward his sharp jawline with the caption “anorexia? just eat bro’.

TikTok has since withdrawn the videos after being warned by MailOnline.

Tom Quinn, director of external affairs at eating disorder charity Beat, said the videos could make someone’s eating disorder worse.

“While watching ‘starvemaxxing’ videos online would not cause an eating disorder, trends that focus on body image and extreme dieting can be incredibly harmful,” he said.

“For example, if someone is already ill with an eating disorder, these trends can exacerbate dangerous thoughts and behaviors, or contribute to the development of an eating disorder if someone is already vulnerable.”

While many people think eating disorders such as anorexia only affect girls and women, mental health charity Young Minds insists this is not true.

About 25 percent of people who experience eating disorders such as anorexia are male, the charity says.

Thinking a lot about calories and what foods you eat, as well as exercising too much and developing an obsession with body image, are all feelings and behaviors linked to anorexia, Young Minds warns.

Long-term anorexia can lead to serious health problems, the NHS warns.

Not getting enough of the right nutrients in your diet can lead to kidney and intestinal problems, a weakened immune system and problems with muscles and bones.

“There is a misconception that eating disorders only affect women and girls, but one in four people with eating disorders are men, and since the pandemic we have heard from more people than ever before, from all genders, ages and backgrounds,” Quinn said. added.

‘We encourage people to take a step back from social media, report any content they find harmful or use the ‘Not Interested’ feature if they are struggling.

‘We would also urge anyone concerned about their health to contact their GP, someone they trust and a source of support like Beat.’

TikTok is working with Beat to help them improve their policies on potentially harmful videos.

In 2023, more than 90 percent of videos removed for violating TikTok’s disorderly eating policy were proactively removed, the social media giant says.

A TikTok spokesperson said: ‘Content that promotes dangerous weight loss behavior is not allowed on TikTok.

“We proactively direct searches for this content to wellness resources we’ve developed with experts.”

If you are concerned about your own health or that of someone else, you can contact Beat, the UK eating disorder charity, 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677 or at beatingdisorders.org.uk