Does watching short-form #WhatIEatInADay videos impact eating disorder cognitions and urges to engage in eating disorder behaviors? An experimental investigation of TikTok

Abstract

Short-form “What I Eat in a Day” (#WhatIEatInADay) videos are common on social media, such as on TikTok, and show a creator eating food across the assumed span of one day. There are two types of #WhatIEatInADay videos: Lifestyle, which include depictions of restrictive diets and eating disorder (ED) content, and Eating Only, which feature a creator eating excessive amounts of highly palatable food. Because viewing eating-related content with ED themes and overeating may lead to ED symptoms, we examined effects of viewing short-form #WhatIEatInADay videos on weight/shape preoccupation and urges to engage in ED behaviors. College students [N = 481; 72.3 % women, 68 % white] were randomly assigned to view Lifestyle, Eating Only, or non-eating related control (#Art) short-form videos from TikTok for 6 min. Before and after, participants rated their weight/shape preoccupation and urges to binge eat, vomit, and exercise. Mixed between-within subject ANOVAs revealed significant interactions by time and condition for weight/shape preoccupation and ED behavior urges. The Lifestyle condition reported an increase in weight/shape preoccupation and urge to exercise, and maintained urges to binge eat and vomit. Participants in the Eating Only condition reported an increase in weight/shape preoccupation and maintained urges to binge eat, vomit, and exercise. The control condition reported decreased urge to binge eat and exercise but no change in weight/shape preoccupation or urge to vomit. Effects related to change in weight/shape preoccupation in the Lifestyle condition were stronger for women. Watching short-form #WhatIEatInADay videos may elevate risk for ED cognitions and behaviors, and watching #Art videos may protect against ED risk. Further research is needed to understand moderators that may potentially strengthen the effects observed.