ReviewThe International journal of eating disorders2026
TikTok and Eating Disorders: A Narrative Review.
Review in The International journal of eating disorders, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- TikTok and Eating Disorders: A Narrative Review.The International journal of eating disorders · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveTikTok has rapidly become one of the world's most influential social media platforms, distinguished by its algorithmically personalized video feed. Its design prioritizes continuous, engagement-optimized content delivery, raising questions about how such environments may shape eating disorder risk, symptom maintenance, and recovery. This narrative review synthesizes emerging research on TikTok and eating disorders.
methodWe conducted a narrative review of studies identified through targeted database searches and reference screening. Findings were organized into four domains: (1) eating disorder-relevant content on TikTok, (2) algorithmic systems structuring content distribution, (3) psychological and behavioral outcomes associated with content exposure, engagement, and creation, and (4) implications for clinical risk, recovery, and intervention.
resultsEating disorder-relevant content on TikTok ranges from explicit pro-eating disorder and pro-recovery material to more socially normative dieting, fitness, and appearance-focused content. Algorithm-focused studies indicate that recommendation systems can disproportionately deliver such material to vulnerable users and may be more responsive to passive engagement signals (e.g., watch time) than to explicit actions (e.g., "liking"). Across study designs, greater exposure to and engagement with eating disorder-related content appears to be associated with eating disorder symptoms and related phenomena. Personalized feeds may function as treatment barriers that warrant assessment in clinical settings, and psychoeducation about how recommendation systems operate may help clients recognize and disrupt harmful exposure cycles. DISCUSSION: TikTok's algorithmically structured environment may interact with vulnerability to reinforce maladaptive comparison and behavioral cycles. Further longitudinal and clinically focused research is needed to clarify causal pathways and inform evidence-based guidance for clinicians.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.