YouTube’s eating-disorder changes could have big implications for dubious fitness influencers

YouTube is upping its efforts to make the video-sharing platform a safer place.



The Google-owned site announced Tuesday that it would change policies around eating-disorder-related content. While YouTube already bans videos that promote or encourage disordered eating behaviors such as binging and purging, the new guidelines will also prohibit content that features any food-related behaviors that may be imitated by “at-risk” viewers.



That could include videos that discuss limiting calories or fasting. The site will also add age restrictions to videos that discuss disordered eating, even from a recovery standpoint. It will also add helpful information about mental health to all videos related to eating disorders.



YouTube says it worked with the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) and Asociación de Lucha contra la Bulimia y Anorexia on the new guidelines, which come a month after researchers determined that increased time online is a risk factor for developing an eating disorder.



In a blog post announcing the changes, Dr. Garth Graham, director and head of YouTube Health, explained why the site is leaning toward stricter health policies. “Because people come to our platform with unique experiences, the same video can affect people in different ways,” he explained. “A video about a creator’s eating disorder recovery journey can help start an essential conversation for some that makes them feel less alone, but may be triggering for others. This is especially true if it includes specifics about disordered behaviors.”



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With millions of videos on YouTube about diet, the changes are likely to be far-reaching. Of course, many videos provide helpful information from professionals, such as certified nutritionists or doctors. But more commonly, the videos being widely ingested by vulnerable populations, like teenage girls, come from fitness professionals promoting their own businesses, or influencers with zero wellness training.



According to one study from University of Alberta, researchers examined almost 200 fitness influencers and found that just 16% of them had any formal certification. Still, the earning potential is huge. The top fitness influencer in 2022 made over $17 million, according to Trainerize, a fitness business website.



That’s great for influencers, but not so much for teenagers’ mental health. At least 23% of adolescents say they get health information from social media sites, and even one-off searches can trigger social media algorithms to routinely spam kids with diet-related content. With teens spending way more time online during the pandemic, it’s no surprise that disordered eating rose drastically in 2020.



Experts don’t believe that disordered eating is directly caused by social media. But there are a number of risk factors that routinely show up online, like videos that promote diet culture, unhealthy weight-loss regimes, and heavily edited images or filtered images that give viewers unrealistic body expectations. That’s likely why 90% of women say they have used filters or other editing features on their photos or videos.



In part, it may also be why searches for mental health content are on the rise. “We know from the data that YouTube had over 1.4 billion views on mental health content in the U.S. in 2021 and we know that the earlier a person with an eating disorder reaches out and seeks treatment, the greater the likelihood of physical and emotional recovery,” said Sarah Chase, the vice president of communication for NEDA, in part of a statement announcing YouTube’s new guidelines. “YouTube is taking a further step in the right direction toward helping NEDA with our mission.”