TikTok Promotes Diet Culture and Negative Body Image Rhetoric: A Content Analysis

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the presence of body image and diet culture rhetoric in videos under the hashtag #HealthyLifestyle on TikTok. METHODS: The top 250 videos under #HealthyLifestyle were categorized using a codebook of wellness topics. We conducted descriptive statistics and interrater reliability analysis. RESULTS: #HealthyLifestyle videos had high rates of all coded categories, including negative and positive messages about body image and diet culture. Nearly all content with positive connotations was counteracted by coexisting negative messaging. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Our findings suggest that content under #HealthyLifestyle contains messaging conflicting with the definition of a healthy lifestyle. Considering the young audience consuming this content, improved nutrition education and health literacy in schools is essential.