I was glad to see this article pulling the thread through from ‘SkinnyTok’ to far-right conspiracy theories: ‘Thinness and revolts against body positivity have been rising on the right in the past 10 years. Conservative organisations now preach to followers to keep themselves fit to be successful, to attract a partner, and start a family – as a way of fighting "the great reset",” explains Dr Cat Tebaldi, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Luxembourg’.
They also reported on a study from the CCDH (Center for Countering Digital Hate) which found that TikTok began recommending content glorifying disordered eating and thinness to accounts for teenagers within just eight minutes. Scary.
The TL;DR is this: you can ban #SkinnyTok but content promoting disordered eating and valorising thinness is here to stay.
A US-based consumer group – Consumer Reports – tested 23 different protein powders and shakes and found that more than two-thirds of them had more lead in a serving than it regards as safe for daily consumption. The concern here is around cumulative exposure; lead is not easily excreted from the body and so builds up over time, leading to neurological symptoms. The report found that the highest levels of lead were found in plant-based protein powders. Although there is no immediate risk of consuming these products, it raises questions about the US’s light-touch approach to regulating supplements.
