Scientists from the City University of New York found which weight loss videos get the most views and likes on TikTok. The research was published in the journal public health.
Previous research on weight loss videos has mostly focused on YouTube. But now TikTok has more than a billion monthly users, so scientists decided to investigate it.
At the time of the study (May 2022), the hashtag #weightless was the most popular for weight loss. In total, 515.4 billion views were viewed.
Scientists have selected the 100 most popular videos for this hashtag. Videos showing the exact amount of weight lost after a diet or exercise were among the most popular, while recipe videos were the most commented on.
About 93% of the videos were posted by regular users, not doctors. At the same time, informative rather than entertaining videos were more popular. This points to a missed opportunity for healthcare professionals to use social media to provide accurate information about weight loss.