Almost 70% of diet tips shared on TikTok and Instagram are misleading, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed 300 videos with popular hashtags about nutrition and eating, including #healthylifestyle, #nutrition and #cleaneating, collected between May 25 and 27, 2025 on these two platforms. The study discovered that at least 68% of all analyzed content presented lies or fraudulent information about eating and diets.
The errors identified in this misleading content came mainly from digital influencers who talked about nutrition without any type of academic credential in the health field. These unqualified individuals were responsible for spreading incorrect information about eating to millions of followers on social media.
The study also revealed that at least 36% of the videos promoted a specific eating pattern as a solution for weight loss, while 67% emphasized "clean" or "healthy" eating as the central message of the content. Additionally, dietary supplements or so-called superfoods appeared in approximately 75% of the analyzed videos, indicating a strong trend toward promoting these products in social media posts about nutrition.
