- The social media trend sees young men cut calories to achieve a masculine look
- Eating disorder charity Beat warns the trend could be ‘incredibly harmful’
An alarming TikTok trend is encouraging men and teenage boys to eat as little as possible in pursuit of a chiseled jaw line.
Some parts of the ‘Looksmaxxing’ trend are harmless tips to start skincare routines, go to the gym or improve general hygiene.
Yet experts are concerned about some videos that feature men and boys bragging about fasting and cutting down on calories.
Called #starvemaxxing, this subgenre of the trend has amassed 8million views on TikTok. Billions more have viewed Looksmaxxing content in general.
Eating disorder charity Beat fears the trend could be ‘incredibly harmful’, especially if someone is already struggling or at risk of an eating disorder such as anorexia.
@xavier1x1, (pictured left) who has more than 4,500 followers, poses to show off his angular jaw line with the caption ‘you haven’t eaten food in 3 days’ and the hashtag #starvemaxxing. A video posted by @guapo._02, (pictured right) who has more than 9,900 followers, also shows him clenching his jaw to show off his facial structure with the caption ‘me after starvemaxxing’
There are several levels to Lookmaxxing, which is prevalent on several social media platforms including Instagram and TikTok and online forums such as Reddit.
Some videos on social media show ‘softmaxxing’, which covers brushing teeth and removing body hair to ‘mewing’, which involves tongue exercises that supposedly help tone facial muscles.
More dangerous trends like starvemaxxing encourage young men to take radical measures to improve their appearance such as plastic surgery and extreme dieting.
Advocates believe the way to get a chiseled jaw line regardless of genetics is by having a low body fat.
Health professionals are concerned videos promoting the trend are encouraging dangerous eating habits.
One TikTok video with the hashtag posted by @xavier1x1, who has more than 4,500 followers, shows him posing to show off his angular jaw line with the caption ‘you haven’t eaten food in 3 days’.
A video posted by @guapo._02, who has more than 9,900 followers, also shows him clenching his jaw to show off his facial structure with the caption ‘me after starvemaxxing’.
A video posted by @4vaine, who has 670 followers, shows him angling the camera towards his sharp jaw line with the caption ‘anorexic? just eat bro’
While another video posted by @ilovesapiyen, who has over 1,100 followers, shows him flexing muscles with the caption ‘me after starvemaxxing for 3 days’.
Accounts promoting the practice are even unrepentant when told such content could trigger eating disorders.
A video posted by @4vaine, who has 670 followers, features him responding to comment saying he was posting content that could trigger anorexics by angling the camera towards his sharp jaw line with the caption ‘anorexic? just eat bro’.
TikTok has since pulled the videos after being alerted by MailOnline.
Tom Quinn, director of external affairs at eating disorder charity Beat, said the videos could worsen someone’s eating disorder.
‘While watching “starvemaxxing” videos online wouldn’t cause an eating disorder, trends that focus on body image and extreme dieting can be incredibly harmful,’ he said.
‘For instance, if somebody is already unwell with an eating disorder, these trends could worsen dangerous thoughts and behaviours, or contribute to an eating disorder developing if someone is already vulnerable.’
Although many people think eating disorders like anorexia only affects girls and women, mental health charity Young Minds stresses that this is not true.
About 25 per cent of people who experience eating disorders like anorexia are male, the charity says.
A TikTok video posted by @ilovesapiyen, who has over 1,100 followers, shows him flexing muscles with the caption ‘me after starvemaxxing for 3 days’
Thinking a lot about calories and what food you eat, as well as exercising too much and developing an obsession with body image are all feelings and behaviours associated with anorexia, warns Young Minds.
Long-term anorexia can lead to severe health problems, the NHS warns.
Not getting enough of the the right nutrients in your diet can lead to kidney and bowel problems, a weakened immune system and problems with muscles and bones.
‘There’s a misconception that eating disorders only affect women and girls, but one in four people with eating disorders are men, and since the pandemic we’ve been hearing from more people than ever before of all genders, ages and backgrounds,’ Mr Quinn added.
‘We’d encourage people to take a step back from social media, report any content they find harmful or use the “Not Interested” feature if they’re struggling.
‘We’d also urge anybody worried about their health to reach out to their GP, somebody they trust and a source of support like Beat.’
TikTok has partnered with Beat to help them improve their policies on potentially harmful videos.
In 2023, of the videos removed because they violated TikTok’s policies on disordered eating, more than 90 per cent were proactively removed, the social media giant says.
A TikTok spokesperson said: ‘Content promoting dangerous weight loss behaviours is not allowed on TikTok.
‘We proactively direct searches for this content to well-being resources that we developed with experts.’
If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s health, you can contact Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity, 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677 or at beateatingdisorders.org.uk
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