TikTok fuelling eating disorders as young people request 'anorexia coaches' on site

TikTok is fuelling eating disorders as young people are using the site to request “anorexia coaches”, The Telegraph has found in the wake of Nikki Grahame's death.

Young people were found to ask other users to send mean comments about their appearance to motivate them to further restrict their diet.

Charities have condemned the findings as “incredibly disturbing” and called on TikTok to take “urgent steps” to stem content that presents eating disorders as a “lifestyle choice”.

TikTok has said it already bans eating disorder-related hashtags and promotes helpline numbers on its site.

The findings come after the former Big Brother star Ms Grahame passed away last week.

The 38-year-old had recently been booked into a specialist clinic for treatment for an eating disorder she had suffered from since her teenage years.

News of the star’s death prompted renewed scrutiny of the amount of “proana” – shorthand for pro-anorexia – content is circulating on TikTok, a video-sharing social network that is particularly popular with young teenagers.

In December, TikTok announced it was launching an investigation into proana content after reports of it appearing widely on the network.

Four months after the company’s commitment, a Telegraph investigation found explicitly pro-anorexia videos easily accessible on the site, which is deemed suitable for children aged 13 and above.

Among the posts uncovered were ones asking other users to become their “ana coaches” to help teach them to eat less.

Another post asked users to join them in a fast to encourage them not to eat for multiple days.

The Telegraph also found posts urging users to provide “meanspo” (mean inspiration) in the form of unkind comments to spur them on not to eat.

Following the findings, the charity Beat called on TikTok to take “urgent steps” to prevent such content being shared widely.

Beat's director of external affairs, Tom Quinn, added: "It is incredibly disturbing to see such content shared so freely on TikTok. So-called 'pro-ana' or 'pro-mia' content, which portrays eating disorder behaviours as a lifestyle choice, can be very dangerous for those affected or vulnerable.

“However, we also know that such content is overwhelmingly made or shared by those already unwell, as opposed to anyone doing so maliciously, so we would also be concerned that the people involved aren't getting the help they need.”

The charity Anorexia & Bulimia Care (ABC) said it wanted to see far more eating disorder linked-hashtags, which help spread the videos, banned on TikTok.

Joanne Byrne, the charity’s chief executive, said: “With TikTok’s appeal to a younger demographic, who most typically experience eating disorders, they have a responsibility and also an opportunity to contribute in a really meaningful way to a reduction in the prevalence and severity of these life threatening mental illnesses.

“We would also like to see an expansion of the support services and guidance/tips they provide.”

More than one million people are thought to suffer from eating disorders in the UK with teenagers and women aged between 12 and 20 the most at risk.

Following The Telegraph’s findings, TikTok said its rules already banned content “depicting, promoting, normalising, or glorifying eating disorders” and that users who search for proana key words were directed to the Beat helpline.

The social media company said it had also deleted all the posts and blocked the hashtags found by the Telegraph's investigation.

A spokesperson added: “As a platform, we're focused on safeguarding our community from harmful content and behaviour while supporting an inclusive – and body-positive – environment.

“Some of the recent changes we've made include banning ads for fasting apps and weight loss supplements, increasing restrictions on ads that promote harmful or negative body image, and introducing permanent public service announcements (PSAs) on hashtags like #whatIeatinaday to increase awareness and provide support for our community.”