The magic dance, the baking soda shake, the ice cubes in the cereal bowl… The best but not least the worst weight loss tips are legion on TikTok. Enlightenment with two nutritionists.
It is one of the most used apps by people under the age of 25. Since its inception in 2016, TikTok hasn’t stopped sprouting all kinds of trends, and the feed has been no exception to the rule. However, in the stream of information provided, it is not always easy to distinguish between those that come from a reliable source and those that are amateurish. Thus, only 53% of nutrition content creators present themselves as a health professional on their profile, the study found.American Society for Nutrition Published in June 2022. In addition to the prescriptions for weight loss, non-specialists give advice, which are sometimes useless, misleading or simply dangerous for health. Decoding the most common.
Antidiabetic drug
“#Ozempic”. behind this popular social media hashtag is the name of an injectable drug for type 2 diabetes weight loss videos with over 335 million views. The trend has become particularly popular in Australia, where prescriptions are easier to obtain, leading to a shortage of stock until last June. Health authorities issued a press release in August to warn of the risk posed by this method and remind them that Ozempic should only be prescribed to patients for whom the product is recommended.
According to general practitioner and nutritionist Faiza Bossi, this is one of the most dangerous trends transmitted by the platform. Taking Ozempic is reserved for type 2 diabetics, if someone is not bothered by this pathology, “a person is exposed to side effects such as digestive disorders, nausea, vomiting or even diarrhea,” he explains. Other, more serious complications may also occur. “There is a risk of dehydration or inflammation of the pancreas, the doctor warns. And since the pancreas produces insulin, if its function is impaired, you can become diabetic.” Fortunately, as the dietitian doctor notes, this medicine is not so easily available in France. “It should be prescribed by an endocrinologist,” says Faiza Bossi.
Here’s the diet to follow for a healthy brain in the video
(extremely) salty cocktail
Another popular platform tip suggests a mixture of Himalayan salt and baking soda diluted in water. This cocktail, invented in September 2021 by Albert Gramoff, a sports trainer with more than 380,000 subscribers (@yodatheycallme on TikTok), promises you less kilos and cellulite.
If baking soda, taken in a simple mouthwash, has real benefits, namely that it improves the transition and whiteness of our teeth by mouthwash, “no scientific studies support a weight-loss effect”, says a nutritionist. the doctor
In addition, consuming this high-salt cocktail poses health risks, says Jeremy Gorski, a nutritionist who specializes in eating behaviors. “We recommend using 5 g per day,” he says. Beyond this threshold, this has consequences for the digestive system. “While baking soda helps improve satiety, when consumed in excess, as here with this cocktail, it promotes constipation and gas, thus causing stomach heaviness. in the abdomen, Dr. Faiza Bossi is abundant. In the worst case scenario, you end up at risk of developing kidney stones or even kidney failure.”
Through the eyes of Jeremy Gorski, also the author of the book Head plate (1) and Instagram account @menthe_banane, you don’t have to bet everything on a miracle drink to hope to shed a few pounds. “If you drink this mixture without changing your diet and without exercising, you will not lose weight,” he summarizes.
Fruit and ice cubes in a bowl
No more cereal bowls, make way for fruit bowls. The “Nature’s Cereals” trend, launched on the @natures_food TikTok account in February 2021 and followed by thousands of subscribers, invites people to replace milk with coconut water and our traditional cereals with fruit. And as a bonus, to bring crunch, according to their promoters, it would be necessary to add ice cubes to this preparation.
Basically, this advice mixes up some good nutritional advice, admits Dr Faiza Bossi. First, it eliminates commercial cereals, which are often too greasy, too sweet, and sometimes too salty. “Replacing grains with fruits remains a good alternative for weight loss, as fruits provide sugars with a slow glycemic index and promote transit due to their fiber, provided they are eaten raw and in season,” he nuanced.
But before you put your spoon in this bowl, beware of excess, the nutritionist reminds. “Eating a lot of fruit contributes to excessive sugar consumption. “If you eat three mangoes for breakfast, you might as well eat cereal,” he teases. Eating too much sugar also increases cravings, warns nutritionist Jeremy Gorsky. “If this technique tricks our stomachs into filling them with water, it has no protein and no fat. This will affect our nervous balance and trigger impulses that will eventually make us eat a whole pack of cake in return,” he laments.
“Weight Loss Dance”
Sports is also not free from the TikTok craze. The “slimming dance” on the social network was popularized in March 2021 by sports trainer @janny14906, whose account has 4.3 million subscribers. In practice, the exercise consists of moving your pelvis back and forth as quickly as possible in an exaggerated and dynamic manner. According to its promoter, this movement burns belly fat and ultimately promotes weight loss.
As Faiza Bossi understands, this technique has the merit of promoting sports practice. On the other hand, “no dance practiced alone has resulted in losing weight,” says the nutritionist. This expenditure will be rewarded only if the accompanying food intake is balanced. As for the “flat stomach” goal that the influencer promises, the health care professional is not convinced either. “If you want to have a long-term flat stomach, you need to work the deep abdominal muscles, which is not possible in this dance. For a better result, it is better to resort to lining exercises,” he suggests.
In turn, dietitian, nutritionist Jeremy Gorsky believes that this trend is contrary to a kind attitude towards his body. “When you return to sports, you have to go gradually. It is quite cruel here, he judges. Moreover, the wrong message is being transmitted. We dance not to lose weight, but to clear our heads.”
80% of my patients with eating disorders are because of social media
Jeremy Gorski, Dietitian, Nutritionist
According to the specialist, the common problem of all these trends is that they affect teenagers and young adults who, after watching these videos, remember that “you have to lose weight in order to exist.” And the dietitian dietitian speaks consciously. “80% of my patients with eating disorders are because of social networks,” he laments.
“There is no miracle cure or miracle diet for weight loss,” insists Dr. Faiza Bossi. If that’s our goal, “we need to adopt a proper nutritional diet, learn to better manage our emotions and do regular sports,” concludes the health expert.
(1) Head plateBy Jeremy Gorski, published by First, 287 pages, €16.95.
Source: Le Figaro
