AS TikTok’s popularity shows no signs of waning, the app has quickly become a hub for promoting and sharing health content – including supposed quick fixes for shedding weight, crammed into bite-sized videos.
From testimonials from people who’ve undergone astounding weight loss transformations, to tip videos on how to achieve a calorie deficit and high-protein meal advice, there’s much to choose from.
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Weight loss content on the app can toe the line between informative and dangerous.
TikTok recently went to the lengths of banning #SkinnyTok, a landing page that served as a hub for extreme dieting content, which critics said glamorised thinness and promoted disordered eating.
People using the hashtag will now be redirected to mental health support resources instead.
A number of weight loss ‘hacks‘ shared across TikTok make reference to blockbuster weight loss jabs, claiming to be ‘nature’s Ozempic‘.
According to Lucy Diamond, registered dietitian and clinical director for innovation at NHS weight management provider, Oviva, “none of them achieve the weight loss as a GL-P1 medication would”.
This is especially the case when you compare these supposed ‘hacks’ to medications like tirzepatide (Mounjaro) – known as the ‘King King’ of weight loss jabs – which spur users to drop 15 to 20 per cent of their body weight.
“A lot of them are over-promising and probably would be under-delivering in reality,” Lucy stated, pointing out that many tips shared across the platform also aren’t backed up with scientific evidence.
Concerningly, many of these trends will be put forward by healthcare professionals or people who claim to have nutrition credentials, imbuing viewers with a false sense of trust.
“Using that trust can be dangerous, because you think ‘Well, if it’s been said by a healthcare professional, it must be safe, it must be effective.”
“There is not one [TikTok weight loss hack] out of all of them that I would say is your golden ticket to weight loss.
“A lot of them are lacking robust evidence and not one of them has a direct comparison, a control trial against a GLP-1. So you can’t with any evidence say these are comparable to a GLP-1.”
On top of this, some of the weight loss tips shared across TikTok are just “bizarre”, Lucy added.
“Obesity is complex and simplifying how to treat it in quick fix videos can be really devastating for people who think that is going to be their answer,” she went on.
“And I do have a worry that these videos are appealing to people who don’t need to lose weight.”
For people whose health would be benefitted by weight loss, signposting them to the right support services is key, so they can make lifestyle changes that last in the long term, the dietitian said.
“If you following some of these quick fixes in the long run, I’d be concerned about the impact on health.”
From ‘natural’ supplements claiming to melt weight off like Ozempic and Wegovy, to everyday ingredients like green tea, olive oil and apple cider vinegar, we give the lowdown on seven TikTok weight loss hacks.
1. Berberine
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A supplement called berberine has been all over social media for a while, with influencers claiming it’s helped them shed stubborn pounds in a matter of weeks.
Some studies do suggest that berberine could aid weight loss and improve overall metabolic health.
A 2020 review of trials found that while the compound seemed to reduce BMI and waist circumference, it didn’t significantly reduce overall body weight.
Another review conducted in 2022 found significant decreases in both weight and BMI in people who took berberine, though the individual studies reviewed were inconsistent and did not allow definite conclusions.
But would Lucy recommend berberine for weight loss?
“Absolutley not,” she told Sun Health.
Common side effects include diarrhoea, constipation, gas and an upset stomach. Large quantities may be fatal.
“It’s sad that it’s deemed as a natural alternative to Ozempic,” Lucy said.
“There is some evidence that it possibly helps lower blood sugar levels slightly – but if you’re not absorbing your food, it is going to have that effect.
“For me, that is not a healthy way to lose weight. Trying to stop your food being absorbed and having awful side effects is not a healthy way to lose weight.
Wegovy vs Ozempic – what’s the difference?
Ozempic is often used as a catch-all term for weight loss drugs, but the drug – whose active ingredient is semaglutide – is actually prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes and has the added benefit of making users lose weight.
Its manufacturer Novo Nordisk later released a higher dose of semaglutide under the brand name Wegovy to treat obesity.
Using Ozempic for weight loss would mean you’re using it ‘off label’ and not for its intended purpose.
Not only could that be dangerous to you, it could also mean you’re depriving diabetes patients from vital medication.
Wegovy and Ozempic are in a class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA).
They work by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone produced naturally by your gut when you eat food, which signals to the brain that you’re full and prevents you from overeating.
“There is no big study showing it’s impactful and proven to support weight loss.”
Lucy also took issue with the fact that berberine is often described as the ‘nature’s Ozempic’, the natural alternative to GLP-1 drugs for weight loss.
It’s misleading to compare the supplement to Ozempic or its weight loss medications like Wegovy and Mounjaro.
These medications work by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone produced naturally by your gut when you eat food, to control blood sugar levels, slow down digestion of food and reduce hunger pangs.
Berberine – a supplement derived from plant compounds – can’t achieve the same pharmaceutical effect and it’s unlikely to be a quick and easy fix for weight loss.
“We’re often sold on needing to be healthy and organic and [berberine] sells itself as being the healthier route to weight loss instead of a GLP-1 medication,” Lucy pointed out.
“For someone that really needs the GLP-1 treatment, is it delaying or causing someone to go down that path when actually there is a safe alternative route that might be right for them, that’s medically supervised, supported with diet and lifestyle changes and has long term health benefits?”
2. Apple cider vinegar
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Creators claim diluting a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water and guzzling this down at the start of the day or before meals could reduce your appetite, bring down bloating and help burn fat – as well as regulate blood sugar levels.
A widely quoted study from 2009 followed 175 people who consumed a drink containing one or two tablespoons of vinegar each day.
After three months, those who consumed vinegar lost very modest amounts of weight – about two to four pounds.
Another small study found that vinegar consumption might help suppress appetite – but it did so by making participants feel sick.
But according to Lucy, “there is no evidence that shows us that apple cider vinegar is proven to have a fat burning effect”.
“I think there is some suggesting it might slightly lower your post-meal rise in glucose, but not enough to be a convincing story that this can help with preventing diabetes, treating diabetes and be effective for weight loss,” she went on.
“For me, the more worrying thing about [taking apple cider vinegar for weight loss] is the effect it might have on the stomach in the long run.”
The condiment’s “high acid level” could irritate the stomach and “possibly” be damaging in the long-term.
3. Green tea
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Sipping on a cup of green tea is a healthy habit – especially if you’re having it instead of sweet or fizzy drinks.
But can it help melt off pounds, like some TikTok creators claim? The evidence remains unclear, according to Lucy.
One creator – who bills herself as a holistic chef and certified nutrition coach – claimed “green tea is one of the best beverages for getting fat off the body”, advising viewers to drink “three to five cups to notice a difference”.
Another – this one a fat loss dietitian – claimed the polyphenols in the tea helped stimulate GLP-1, the fullness hormone weight loss jabs mimic.
Others link green tea’s caffeine content to its fat loss potential, with some creators claiming that drinking the stuff on an empty stomach could help burn fat, according to Lucy.
The drink has also been the subject of extensive research, but evidence remains shaky, the dietitian stated.
“The evidence base is just not there,” she said.
“And if you’re comparing [green tea] to a GLP-1 – which can bring on 15 to 20 percent body weight loss – this is not going to get you there.”
At most, drinking green tea will amount to “a couple of percentages of fat on the weight loss front”.
She called out “the unrealistic expectations of overpromising something supplementary to your diet that’s going to help lose your weight”.
“It may alongside a healthy balanced diet, but it’s the healthy balanced diet and lifestyle changes that’s driving weight loss,” the dietician stated.
4. Yerba Mate
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Another form of tea called Yerba Mate has also been linked to weight loss on the app.
Like green and black tea, the traditional South American brew contains caffeine. It can be consumed both warm and cold.
Creators – one of them a plastic surgeon – claim the brew can help increase the metabolism, thus leading to weight loss.
Another said drinking Yerba Mate had “snatched” her waist after having kids, so much so that her relatives questioned whether she was taking weight loss jabs. She touted the brew as a “natural” solution to weight loss.
While Yerba Mate might feel “newer on the market”, Lucy said: “I think it’s just your next green tea.
“It’s the shiny new version of your green tea in the weight loss arena because it’s claiming the same things: it’s going to speed up your metabolism, it’s going to reduce your appetite.
“And yes, some of us experience suppression of appetite for a short period after caffeine.
“But that is not going to be a great energy expenditure to lead to impactful weight loss in the short term or long term.”
She took issue to health professionals peddling the product on the app without sufficient evidence.
“As a dietitian, the title is protected and we’re on a health care professionals council, so we have to be really careful that anything we say externally is always backed by evidence.
“Have we got a big trial or a big study that can tell us that, yes, this is factually correct, this is going to be your answer to weight loss?
“If we don’t have that, we have to tread very carefully and ensure that everything we do say is evidence based.
“And ideally, the study will not be just in a small cohort and not in animals, but a larger, robust clinical trial in humans that shows some great outcomes in humans.”
5. Buckwheat – the ‘Slavic girl diet’
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The so-called ‘Slavic girl diet’ has been making the rounds on TikTok since last year.
It rests on the premise that Eastern European and Russian women stay slim thanks to humble staples like buckwheat and pickled vegetables.
Videos made under the hashtag have captions like “Slavic girls know the ultimate trick to staying skinny is buckwheat” and “debloating secrets of Slavic women”.
“The Slavic diet is full of de-bloating foods that keep your waist tiny and skin glowing,” one creator claimed.
Lucy was slower to dismiss this trend compared to others, saying it “sits on the fence” when it comes to weight loss research.
Buckwheat – small, nugget-like grains that can be eaten in the same way as rice – is gluten free and high in protein and fibre.
“We know that a high-protein, high-fibre diet – like buckwheat – really does aid satiety, so it keeps you fuller for longer and is digested more slowly by the stomach,” she said.
“Increasing your fibre and increasing your protein are the right things to do to help with satiety and are also a foundation for a healthy way to lose weight.
“There are really robust clinical trials that support that a high fibre diet helps with weight loss, but also helps with your overall health. It actually reduces the risk of certain cancers, improves your cardiovascular health
“So part of me kind of agrees with this, but not fully.”
The dietitian noted that “any monogenic diet is not your answer”.
Simply eating more buckwheat won’t be the key to healthier habits and weight loss. Instead, you should be upping your fibre with other foods, such as beans, lentils and pulses, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Aim for at least 25 grams a day.
But do go easy on the fibre at first, Lucy advised
While foods with the nutrient can help with bloating and constipation, increasing it too quickly – especially if you’re not drinking enough water or exercising regularly – can “have the reverse effect”.
“So I think it comes with some terms and conditions that are not advertised by the shiny flat stomach” in TikTok videos, Lucy said.
6. ‘Excessive hydration’
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Were you to browse through weight loss content on TikTok, it’s likely that creators will include drinking lots of water in their lists of tips.
Some will advise keeping a filled water bottle on you at all times, while others prescribe amounts such as three litres or gallon a day – which to Lucy seemed ludicrous.
“There are benefits to hydration from a concentration perspective, from a bowel perspective.
“So, for me hydration is key – but healthy hydration in line with the guidance, six to eight glasses a day.
“From a weight loss perspective, I don’t think there is any solid evidence to be recommending it.”
She mentioned that some creators claim drinking water will help ‘flush out’ your digestive system.
“It’s rare, but it can be dangerous to be flushing huge amounts through your body, through your kidney,” Lucy warned.
But the dietitian did acknowledge that “sometimes hunger cues can be confused with thirst”, so staying well hydrated throughout the day is key.
“It’s quite an old school [tip], have a glass of water before your meal,” she said, pointing out that there is some “small evidence” that having water before a meal may result in modest weight loss – but only “in combination with following calorie reduced diets”.
Another study from 2009 showed that people ate fewer calories if they water before meals.
“Hydration is great, overhydration is crazy,” Lucy stressed.
7. Olive oil shots
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Social media users have claimed that taking a shot of olive oil in the morning could “kickstart” your metabolism and help with weight loss.
But Lucy wasn’t so sure about the unorthodox hack.
“Olive oil has its health benefits – from a cardiovascular disease perspective it definitely has its place at the table.
“But when it comes to a weight loss tool, I have not seen convincing evidence for it.
“It isn’t a magic quick fix because a tablespoon of olive oil is the same calorie-wise as a tablespoon of fat, so it’s not saving you any calories.”
It probably won’t do much for your gut health either – fibrous food and probiotics are much more likely to help, the dietitian went on.
Stick to drizzling olive oil on your salad rather than shotting it, Lucy advised.
