What the #SkinnyTok Ban Misses, and Where Real Healing Happens
You may have seen talk online about TikTok banning the hashtag #SkinnyTok - but the conversation runs deeper than social media moderation. This shift is a signal: we need to redefine what body image support actually looks like beyond bans and filters.
Because as long as the cultural engine of body obsession keeps turning, harsh trends and fatphobic ideas will simply evolve.
Why banning doesn’t fix the problem
TikTok removed the hashtag because it often showcased extreme calorie restriction, harsh self talk, and the glorification of unhealthy eating behaviors. But banning a label doesn’t stop the harmful messaging that continues to shape shift throughout the decades.
That same disordered content resurfaces in subtle language and more palatable packaging:
“Wellness check-ins” that double as food restriction diaries
“Clean girl” or “that girl” routines that quietly center thinness as virtue
Disguised hashtags like #sknnytok or vague captions like “just what works for me”
We’re not seeing less of it, we’re seeing a more curated, algorithm-friendly version of the same problem.
Culture always shape shifts
This is how diet culture survives: it evolves. It gets more subtle. More aesthetic. More palatable.
And that makes it even trickier to name when something feels off. It’s no longer framed as “thinspiration”—it’s “discipline,” “glow-up,” or “wellness.” The pressure to mold your body hasn’t disappeared, it’s just been rebranded.
So if you find yourself triggered or unsure why something felt bad in your body, that’s not a flaw in your recovery. That’s your awareness doing its job.
The real resolution isn’t out there
You could delete every app, unfollow every account, block every trend - and the internal pull might still exist.
Because body image isn’t about the mirror or the algorithm. It’s about the meaning we’ve learned to assign to our bodies over time, often quietly, often from a young age. That’s not something a platform can ban away. But it is something you can unlearn.
And that’s where the real work happens: in the internal space. In the gentle untangling of beliefs that tell you your body is a project or needs to be punished. In the rebuilding of trust - around food, around your worth, around taking true care of yourself.
You don’t have to do that work alone
If you’ve felt like content lately has stirred up old thoughts, or if comparison has crept back in under a new name, you’re not imagining it. And you don’t need to navigate that alone.
I offer virtual nutrition therapy for eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image healing. Together, we create space for your values, not perfection. My approach is rooted in non-diet care, body trust, and the understanding that food is never just about food.
The culture will keep shifting. But your internal world doesn’t have to shift with it.
Ready to reclaim your relationship with food and your body?
Let’s work together. Schedule today or email kristin@hereandnownutrition.com to find a time that works for you.
