Do TikTok Diets Work? Experts Debunk 4 Popular Weight Loss Trends

A new year is synonymous with a fresh start for many people all over the globe. January is often seen as the perfect opportunity to kickstart a new diet or fitness regimen.

Rather than reaching out to a healthcare professional, however, many are turning to the internet for support and guidance. A survey, by the communications platform Sortlist, found that one in five social media users trust influencers more than health specialists. The results also found that 47 percent of the 1,000 respondents used social media as their primary health information source.

However, this approach to achieving your dream body may be harmful, as the weight loss methods promoted are often quick fixes that aren't sustainable.

Newsweek researched TikTok crazes and reached out to a number of experts to find out more about juice cleanses, the carnivore diet, volume eating, and more.

'You Should Not Use TikTok or Social Media for Health and Fitness Information'

According to the Boston Medical Center, an estimated 45 million Americans go on a diet per year. Newsweek spoke to Denise Cervantes, a personal trainer, who advises people against relying solely on TikTok for health information.

She said: "Social media influencers' goal is to go viral. To go viral, they must post and create extreme, attention-grabbing videos. Influencers develop attention-grabbing titles to grab your attention when folks are perusing social media, making them stop and watch.

"Most health and fitness posts aim to hook consumers to keep them watching. Unfortunately, the health and fitness industry is a problem, and extreme opinions are amplified, misleading, and flat-out wrong. How often have you seen videos that state, 'The secret to getting a slimmer waist and bigger butt,' or '6-pack abs secrets you never knew about?'"

Cervantes pointed out that creators and influencers on social media are all fighting for followers and likes. "A guaranteed way to get ahead in social media is being extreme. Unfortunately, knowledgeable, reasonable information is lost among the never-ending clickbait nonsense. Many of the most famous people in the health and fitness industry are not giving you the best information, just the [information] best at grabbing your attention. Health and fitness information on social media is another reason the fitness industry is loaded with misinformation," she said.

But are viral diets really the best way to lose weight? Newsweek spoke to experts to find out more.

How Safe Is The Carnivore Diet?

This diet is not only popular but controversial too. The meat-focused diet has caused a stir in the nutrition world and registered dieticians like Abbey Sharp, from Toronto, Canada, disapprove.

"There are countless diets and diet hacks on TikTok that are problematic. But the one that I take the most issue with currently is the carnivore diet. It goes against all of the best quality evidence we have when it comes to good health and longevity," said the founder of Abbey's Kitchen Inc. "It may be true that a few folks can thrive on a diet like this largely because they are cutting out so many foods they are bound to be cutting out a few foods that may be triggering adverse symptoms."

The diet recommends eating large quantities of high-fat animal products like beef and liver and has racked up 650,500 million views on TikTok. Some people may also eat fish and dairy but fruit, vegetables, and grains aren't allowed as part of this diet.

Sharp said: "A diet rich in animal products and low in plant-based products very likely would limit beneficial gut bacteria and diversity which can affect immunity, digestion, weight, and much more."

'The Carnivore Diet Has Completely Changed My Life'

However, one content creator couldn't praise the diet enough. Courtney Luna, 38, a mom-of-two from California, said she has dropped 37 pounds since May 2022 when she weighed 192 pounds.

Nine months on, Luna has a TikTok account @itscourtneyluna dedicated to the diet and three million people have tuned in to watch a clip of Courtney showcasing what she eats in a day.

She told Newsweek: "It has changed my life. I have lost weight and still have more to go but so far, the benefits include increased energy, my acne has cleared up, and better digestion.

"I have zero gas or bloating and my mental health improved. I could even stop taking anti-depression medication, and I finally have my freedom back.

"I no longer obsess about foods that don't serve me well. The mental gymnastics I used to go through either trying not to binge, trying to fit treats into my macros, or binging and then restricting the next day—it was all-consuming. Now I don't give those foods another thought."

How Safe Is The Juice Cleanse Diet?

Some people opt to consume fresh fruit and vegetable juices for a period of time to lose weight. This method is "ill-advised for many reasons," said Lauren Harris-Pincus, a registered dietician from Dunellen, New Jersey.

The hashtag 'juice cleanse' has received over 97 million views. TikTok user @nirvana.kian has previously racked up 3.8 million views on a video showing how she dropped 10 pounds in three days on the diet. Newsweek spoke to Kiana Ballew, 26, who drinks juices packed with fruit and raw vegetables for three days a month.

'I Think Juice Cleansing Is A Sustainable Way To Get The Ball Rolling At The Start Of Your Weight Loss Journey'

Ballew, from Phoneix, Arizona, said she went from 242 pounds to 216 since January 2022.

She said: "I think juice cleansing is a great way to jumpstart any weight loss journey. However, clean eating and regular exercise is the key to maintaining those results. Losing weight is not a linear process.

"There are plenty of ups and downs. From personal experience, I know how discouraging it can be when you're doing everything in your power to make the scale come down and it just won't budge. So, I believe juice cleansing is a sustainable way to get the ball rolling. It provides that extra boost of confidence that many of us need in those beginning stages to keep going."

Why You Should Avoid Juice Cleanses

Harris-Pincus, author of The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club, listed the following reasons why you shouldn't take this approach:

1. The odds are any weight loss will be regained quickly.
2. A juice cleanse is basically 100 percent carbohydrate which means you are lacking vital protein to help support your muscles. You are likely going to lose muscle mass along with any initial weight loss which means that you may be slowing your metabolism for when you actually do start to eat again.
3. Our bodies do not need detoxing. If you have a functioning liver and kidneys, they do the job for us; if not, you need a hospital, not a juice cleanse.
4. Any severely restrictive diet can lead to disordered eating, something we definitely do not want to encourage.
5. Juice lacks the fiber that's incredibly beneficial in our whole fruits and veggies to help with satiety, control the rise in blood sugar after a meal and contribute to gut health.

How Safe Are Low-Carb and Keto Diets?

Carbohydrates are often demonized as they are associated with pizza, pastries, and other unhealthy foods. But foods high in carbohydrates are an important part of a healthy diet. In fact, a low-carb diet that focuses on higher protein and fat—foods such as meat, nuts, seeds, and non-starchy vegetables—and restricts carbohydrates could shorten one's life expectancy.

A 2018 study published in the journal The Lancet found that people who ate less than 30 percent of their calories from carbs were predicted to have a life expectancy of 79 years; whereas those who consumed 50 to 55 percent of their calories from carbs were estimated to have a life expectancy of 83 years.

Newsweek spoke to Ashley Kitchens, a registered dietician based in North Carolina, who said: "Low-carb diets have been shown to stiffen people's arteries and impair blood flow to the heart. A low-carb diet with an emphasis on high protein and fat intake has been associated with impaired blood flow to the limbs.

"I do not recommend low-carb diets. They are not sustainable, suitable, or safe, especially long-term. Low-carb diets are enticing in the beginning because people tend to drop weight quickly from water loss and they may even feel better. However, low-carb diets are not a long-term solution to weight loss. Carbohydrates are not the enemy. Companies want you to think carbs are "bad" so that you'll continue to buy their low-carb products. In the long run, you're not the one who profits, the companies do. Most people who go on a low-carb diet will gain the weight back and [then] some."

How Safe Is The Volume Eating Diet?

This eating plan is designed to promote weight loss by having you fill up on low-calorie foods frequently. Volume eating is said to help you feel full while eating fewer calories.

Dietician Sharp commented said research shows low-calorie density food is an effective weight loss strategy for a short-term solution.

While this diet encourages dieters to consume fruits and vegetables, meaning they will get their fiber, micro-nutrients, and antioxidants, there are flaws, according to Sharp. She believes this method is somewhat tricking the body into thinking it has more calories than it actually does.

She said: "Our bodies still want us to consume enough calories to thrive so this often does catch up with us over time. We also have to think about the nutritionally dense food it excludes, like nuts, seeds, oils, avocado, and kinds of butter. These are all foods that support weight loss."

'I've Tried All The Diets, But Volume Eating Played A Massive Role In Me Actually Lose The Weight'

Dez Cerimagic, 23, a fitness enthusiast from Gold Coast, Australia, has said that the method works.

Cerimagic has previously shared his positive experience of volume eating on TikTok. The influencer who uses the handle @aussiefitness weighed 300 pounds before discovering this method. He now weighs 165 pounds and promotes the strategy on TikTok to his 1.7 million followers.

Cerimagic, the founder of Aussie Fitness, told Newsweek: "There are plenty of 'diets' out there and I have tried them all, but many of them resulted in you having to eliminate certain foods or restrict yourself, which I personally didn't find sustainable.

"Volume eating played a massive role in me actually succeeding to lose the weight as it helped me conquer hunger."

How To Lose Weight Safely

Kitchens has suggested a plant-forward diet for weight loss—a healthy style of cooking that emphasizes plant-based foods but isn't strictly limited to them.

She said: "Plants are naturally lower in calories, cholesterol, and saturated fat. Plants are nutrient-dense and packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. If we look at the Blue Zones—pockets of communities across the world where people live the longest and have low rates of chronic disease—these people are not following a low-carb diet.

"In fact, they're eating a high-carb diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes with little amounts of meat and dairy. If you want to achieve a healthier diet, don't follow the latest trend. If you want to achieve a healthier diet, don't follow a low-carb diet. It's going to do more harm than good. Low-carb dieting is a never-ending cycle of restricting, feeling deprived, falling off the diet, feeling guilty, and starting it all over again."