An Australian study has revealed the impact of fitness and dietary supplement content on the TikTok platform in shaping young people’s views of their bodies and health behavior, showing that such content can, in just a few minutes, reduce satisfaction with fitness and nutrition and increase the desire to use muscle-building supplements.
The study, conducted by Flinders University, is among the first pieces of research to directly test the effect of watching TikTok content on young people’s perceptions of their bodies and their health intentions.
The study included more than 280 young men aged between 17 and 30, who were asked to watch short clips for just three minutes on TikTok. These clips ranged from fitness content and dietary supplement promotions to travel content unrelated to health or sports, after which they were asked to assess their views of their bodies, fitness, nutrition, and their desire to use muscle-building supplements.
The results showed that participants who watched idealized fitness or dietary supplement content felt less satisfied with their bodies and nutrition compared with those who watched travel content. They also showed a greater desire to use creatine, a common muscle-building supplement. The effect of fitness content in particular was more pronounced, as it lowered satisfaction levels and increased interest in supplements even more than content directly focused on them.
The lead researcher said the findings demonstrate how quickly young people are affected by this type of content, explaining that “just a few minutes of exposure to idealized fitness or supplement content is enough to change men’s perceptions of their bodies and increase their desire to seek out products that promise rapid gains in muscle mass.”
For her part, a body image expert explained that the problem is not so much the amount of time spent on the phone as it is the type of repeated content, such as idealized bodies, supplement advertisements, and fitness clips that may reinforce muscle dysmorphia, a diagnosable psychological condition. She added that some exercise content may be more influential than direct supplement advertising because it can lead users to believe they need additional products to keep up with the standards being presented.
The study showed that this effect was stronger among young men with a high drive for muscularity, as they were more likely to be dissatisfied with their diet and more interested in supplements.
It also found that social comparison plays an important role, as comparing oneself with the idealized bodies in the videos is linked to lower satisfaction and greater interest in muscle-building products.
The researchers said social comparison is an influential factor in health behavior, but it is often overlooked, especially on image-based platforms such as TikTok.
At the same time, they stressed that not all fitness content is harmful, but that young people need better tools to critically evaluate health messages, because these messages often exaggerate the benefits and downplay the risks.
The researchers concluded by emphasizing the importance of strengthening media literacy and developing more responsible practices on social media, noting that what appears to be simple motivational content can quickly turn into psychological pressure and unhealthy behaviors if it is not understood critically.
