JAKARTA - In recent years, social media has witnessed the emergence of a new phenomenon that is quite worrying, namely skinny influencer. This trend was echoed by Liv Schmidt, 23-year-old content creator. He went viral last year, because of his content about tips for being thin.
Reported by VOI from the USA Today page on Thursday, January 16, 2025, he is known for videos such as living climate in the city' and Holiday Mealair Girl Guide. With uploads of Instagram accounts featuring slick photos in matching sports settings, practicing Pilates, and enjoying the nightlife in New York, Schmidt markets a slim body as an important part of being a it girl
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Schmidt revealed his ideology of reducing calorie intake and maintaining its content.
While most creators in the field of fitness and lifestyle avoid direct relationships between health and lean bodies, Schmidt actually built the platform by openly voicing this. He managed to gather hundreds of thousands of followers on TikTok before being banned by TikTok in September.
In one of the outfit videos, he wrote, 'Basic fit because the main accessories areSON hair and thin body.' In another video, he added, 'Please don't ask how can I be thin if you're not ready for the answer.'
Supporters say he only reveals the truth. But mental health experts warn that this kind of content can affect the young user's perspective on body image and trigger unhealthy eating habits.
TikTok has finally banned Schmidt accounts for violating community guidelines, particularly those related to content promoting eating disorders and unhealthy body images. Even though it's banned on TikTok, Schmidt is still active on Instagram, selling its exclusive content, posting dozens of new videos on YouTube with titles like badminton thunder ... hello slim
TikTok has set guidelines for limiting content related to dangerous weight loss. However, many users are distorting this guideline, by posting content on an extreme diet with hashtags or videos of what do I eat everyday', which often describes unhealthy calorie intake.
According to Lizzy Pope, a professor at the University of Vermont who researches the diet culture on social media, there are major changes in the way people talk about lean bodies.
"We are close to seeing the return of open talks about the desire to be thin, while previously many people were more focused on 'wanting to be healthier, wanting to live a healthy life.' I see language like this getting more and more accepted, "said Pope.
According to a University of Vermont study in 2022, the content about food, nutrition, and weight most watched on TikTok actually strengthens the toxic diet culture among adolescents and young adults.
Pope, who was also involved in the study, said that the representation of dietary culture and weight loss is often considered as part of a healthy life.
According to Pope, the main problem in following the advice of non-expert creators is that their advice often does not consider genetic factors and can be misleading in understanding how eating disorders develop. Eating disorders often arise gradually, not instantaneously.
Even though TikTok has banned it, Pope still warns that similar content will continue to appear on other platforms as long as the body is sleek as it is considered an indicator of social status and health.
Pope reminded parents to assume that their children will be exposed to content like this, and suggested proactively discussing diet topics and creating a home environment that emphasizes values other than physical appearance.
He also emphasized the importance of not making assumptions about a thin person's body size, and reminded that problems arise when a person gives advice without medical support about how to be thin.
The best way to minimize content exposure like this is not to interact with these videos, because commenting or liking videos will actually make algorithms show similar content.
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Pope also suggests working on rejecting this kind of content so that the toxic diet culture does not affect mental health, as well as seeking professional support such as therapists and nutritionists, if unhealthy thinking continues.
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