Experts issue warning over 'highly dangerous' looksmaxxing TikTok trend
Alison Perry
Netmums contributorParents are being urged to check if their sons are watching 'looksmaxxing' or 'starvemaxxing' content on social media, as experts warn it can lead to eating disorders
A social media trend that could lead to eating disorders is causing concern amongst parents, with health experts calling it 'highly dangerous'.
The trend, known as 'looksmaxxing' focuses on showing boys and young men how to maximise their physical appearance through grooming, fitness, fashion, and sometimes surgical procedures.
Influencers who have become famous for looksmaxxing content tell their audience that physical attractiveness will improve their lives and offer tips, with the movement gaining huge popularity on TikTok.
An even more worrying off-shoot of the trend — 'starvemaxxing' — sees boys and young men share tips on extreme dieting, calorie deficits and obsessive exercise.
- Cash boost for anyone claiming Child Benefit – coming in weeks
- Primark's 'timeless and chic' £18 dress that's a smart wardrobe staple
- Mobile phones to be banned in all schools – full new rules
- Aldi's new anti-ageing beauty buy is a dupe for £65 Estee Lauder serum
- Aldi's dupe of Dyson's £300 hairdryer is BACK in stores this week
'Aimed at boys and young men'
Parents are being warned that the trend is aimed at boys and young men who might be unhappy with their looks who then get drawn into a rabbit hole of content on social media.
One TikToker who posts looksmaxxing tips, Marcos Philip, tells his followers that changing their physical appearance can create a 'halo effect' on their lives.
In one video, which has 83K views, he says: 'Your appearance affects how other people see you.
'Attractive people are more likely to be treated well in society, while those who aren't as attractive may be neglected, which honestly is completely true.
'The way you look can affect tonnes of things like education, job opportunities, and working. In education teachers may give students that are attractive, higher grades, even though they aren't the greatest students. So the halo effect can definitely be unfair, but it's psychology.
'The only thing you can do is take care of your body to the best of your ability.'
Worryingly, the '#Starvemaxxing' hashtag already has more than nine million views on TikTok with videos offering more extreme and potentially dangerous tips to boys and young men on losing weight.
'Starvemaxxing is highly dangerous,' Family psychotherapist Fiona Yassin has told Netmums, telling us that it's putting young people in potentially fatal danger.
Why are boys and young men starvemaxxing?
Fiona says that body image concerns amongst boys are rising.
'From an early age they are conditioned to conform to a certain body type, just as girls are.
'The stereotypical attractive man has long been considered as someone who is tall, lean and has defined muscles – although it’s important to note that this changes across cultures.
'From a young age, boys will see it as a slur to have a smaller body shape or be a smaller size.'
She explains that although parents who have not grown up in an online world wonder why children and young people are so drawn in to take part in potentially dangerous content on TikTok, it's a way of them connecting with their peers.
'For many young people, taking part is a bid to be seen and visible,' she says. 'TikTok challenges and trends — such as starvemaxxing — tend to pull in children and young people who are quite impulsive, which can make for a dangerous situation.'
Molly Forbes, founder of Body Happy Org and author of Body Happy Kids runs workshops with young people on body image.
She tells Netmums: 'I’ve had teachers tell me they’re worried about their male students who seem to be actively restricting their food intake - some of these students are children of 9 and 10 years old.
How to talk to your child about starvemaxxing
Fiona advises a considered approach to this, saying: 'It can be tempting to act impulsively by turning the Wi-Fi off, blocking certain servers or taking the phone or device away.'
'Likewise, you may feel the urge to hammer home the worst possible case scenario to your child. In response to this type of reaction, children often lose interest and you risk losing the key messages.'
She suggests that rather than accusing your child, begin a healthy dialogue with them by asking a range of questions: What social media platforms are they using? What do they see on social media that upsets them or makes them annoyed? How do they feel when they use TikTok?
Next, gather some age-appropriate information on the risks of extreme weight loss and restricting meals.
'It’s OK not to have all the answers,' she says. 'As a parent who may not have grown up in an online world, you may first need to educate yourself before educating your child.'
Lastly, help to limit the time your child spends on TikTok and other social media platforms by distracting them with activities. 'Limiting exposure to social media is not to prevent them from having friends or contact with other people, it’s to protect their mental health and wellbeing,' Fiona says.
'We can’t always protect ourselves or our kids from seeing harmful messages about bodies'
Molly suggests encouraging your child to think critically about what they're seeing online.
'The one thing I tell parents, teachers and children is that unfortunately we can’t always protect ourselves or our kids from seeing harmful messages about bodies, but we can learn to think critically about them,' she says.
'So that might mean talking to children about subjects like appearance ideals and anti-fat bias and helping them recognise it when they’re confronted by it. Just because these messages exist does not mean we have to absorb and internalise - and believe - them.'
Molly says we need to go further than talking about filters and body shaming in the comments section.
'We also need to be talking with them about things like the impact of algorithms and that the more they view and engage with a certain type of content the more it will show up in their feed.
'We need to be talking to them about stuff like AI and helping them spot images that aren’t just airbrushed - but aren’t even a real person.
'This can all feel really overwhelming as a parent, but actually children have a lot to teach the adults in their lives too. So make it an open two way conversation, ask them to show you stuff that has bothered or inspired them, or share a video they’ve found funny.
'Share those funny memes on text with them and take an active role in learning about what they’re consuming online. No kid wants to be lectured about boring stuff by “old people” so be curious and ask them to share their ideas and opinions too.'
Related stories
