TikTok and self-image: why body positivity doesn’t solve everything

A new study published Wednesday 9 September 2026 in PLOS One adds some nuance to how we talk about body positivity on TikTok. Videos idealizing thinness were linked to increased self-objectification and a more negative mood, while body positive content improved mood in the short term but also increased attention to appearance.

Researchers at Western University in Canada recruited 323 women and people identifying as female. Each participant watched, in random order, 20 TikTok videos divided into five categories: thinspiration, fitspiration, body positive, general positive content, and neutral content. After each video, participants rated their mood and how they perceived themselves.

The clearest result concerns thinspiration, content that presents thinness as an ideal to achieve. Compared to general positive videos, this category caused the highest level of self-objectification, ahead of body positive and fitspiration. Thinspiration and fitspiration were also associated with more negative emotions and fewer positive emotions than neutral videos.

Body positivity tells a more complex story. In the experiment, it was linked to a more positive mood, aligning with its message of acceptance. But it also increased self-objectification, meaning the tendency to view oneself more as an appearance to be evaluated. In other words, content can feel good in the moment while still keeping the body at the center of attention.

What the study changes about how we scroll

This finding doesn’t mean we should throw TikTok away or consider all beauty, fitness, or body positive content harmful. It mainly reminds us that the question isn’t just whether a video delivers a positive or negative message, but also what it encourages us to observe about ourselves.

This nuance aligns with other social media research. The American Psychological Association notably highlighted a study of 690 adult women showing that exposure to images matching a thin ideal lowered their evaluation of their own body image. The mechanism isn’t new: visual comparison can weigh on us, even when we know a feed isn’t real life.

However, an important limitation must be kept in mind. The study published in PLOS One measures immediate effects, right after viewing. It does not allow conclusions about lasting consequences of a TikTok video. The authors also note the sample was young and mostly of average body size, limiting generalization of results.

Three simple habits to lighten your feed

The first is to notice what happens after a few minutes of scrolling. If you suddenly feel worse in your clothes, more critical in front of the mirror, or obsessed with fixing a detail of your appearance, that feeling deserves to be taken seriously. It’s not about diagnosing, just spotting content that leaves an unpleasant mark.

The second habit is very concrete: act on the algorithm. TikTok explains you can use the “Not interested” function, refresh the “For You” feed, and manage recommended topics. These are small adjustments but help reduce repetition of certain content, especially when a subject becomes too present.

The third is to bring variety back into what you watch. Following accounts dedicated to cooking, travel, books, decor, humor, gardening, or creativity helps prevent appearance from taking up the whole screen. For teenagers, UNICEF also recommends helping identify accounts that fuel comparisons and using platform tools to rebalance recommendations.

Body positivity can stay positive without talking about the body all day

The result on body positivity doesn’t mean the movement is useless or hypocritical. In the study, these videos were indeed linked to a more positive mood. The caution point is elsewhere: if every message, even a kind one, constantly brings you back to size, shape, skin, hair, or weight, appearance can remain the main filter through which you see yourself.

One approach is to gently shift attention. Instead of only following content about how to love your body, you can also choose content about what the body allows you to do: walk, dance, cook, sleep, carry a child, work, laugh, rest. For younger people, UNICEF specifically recommends valuing qualities, abilities, and activities rather than reducing self-esteem to appearance.

The study by Samantha Jones, Faige Pasternak, and Erin Heerey doesn’t settle the debate on TikTok and self-image; it refines the question. The researchers call for further work on how to reduce the negative effects of thinspiration and fitspiration, especially among people already very sensitive to how their appearance is viewed.