In today’s world, it is easier than ever for health misinformation to spread. When you scroll through TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube, you can run into a “miracle cure,” a “weird hack,” or some advice that sounds too good to be true. Sadly, many of those claims are not backed by science, and some can even hurt you.
False Health Challenges and Information
Social media is full of “natural cures,” detox regimens, miracle remedies, or alternative treatments for serious illnesses like cancer. Some of these claims are harmless but most are unproven, misleading, or dangerous when they replace proven treatment.
You might see claims like drinking garlic juice can cure infections, ingesting potato juice for strep throat, or using beer on your skin to get a nice tan. Some of these ideas seem innocent, silly, or harmless. But others can lead to real danger. If someone skips proven medical treatment for a serious condition because they trusted a viral video instead, the harm can be severe.
Also, just because something sounds “natural” or comes from someone who seems credible doesn’t make it true. Emotional language, fear, or bold promises (for example, “this will fix your hormones in 24 hours”) are big red flags, a Vox article reported.
A prominent example is Belle Gibson, an Instagram wellness influencer who claimed she had cured her brain cancer with diet and natural therapies. She built a large following, encouraged people not to use conventional cancer treatment, and published apps and books. But in 2015 the truth was revealed: She never had cancer. Belle was eventually fined by an Australian court. Her story was adapted into a series this year by Netflix.
Body Image
In 2025, many teenagers are exposed to dieting fads via TikTok. An article in The State Press warns that “dieting trends are taking over TikTok, raising misinformation and mental health concerns.” Some of these trends push extremely low calories, detox teas, or selective elimination of food groups without medical supervision.
According to The Guardian, more than half of the top 100 TikTok videos about mental health contain misinformation. These videos promote “dubious advice, questionable supplements and quick-fix healing methods” that are not evidence based.
There is a trend in diet videos where creators show exactly what they eat each day, often under a restrictive or extreme diet label. These “What I Eat in a Day” videos have gained millions of views. Nutritionists warn these videos often set unrealistic standards, omit context about health status, or promote disordered eating. The content may subtly pressure viewers to emulate diets that are not safe or balanced.
This year, French regulators raised alarm over a TikTok trend called #SkinnyTok, which features content promoting extreme thinness and restrictive eating behaviors. The French digital media minister reported the trend to regulators, citing body-shaming and the mental health risks for vulnerable users.
Social media filters create a warped standard of beauty, and some people go to extreme lengths to make their real appearance match their filtered selfie. This phenomenon is sometimes called “Snapchat dysmorphia.” Surgeons have noted that patients come in asking for procedures to look exactly like their filtered selves. This can spiral into body insecurity, repeated cosmetic surgeries, or dissatisfaction. The gap between real life and filtered reality causes psychological distress.
Self-Diagnosis – With the Help of Social Media
Perhaps one of the scariest practices on TikTok is a trend called “undiagnosis.” This is when content creators first self-diagnose by describing their emotional or psychological symptoms and concluding they must have certain mental disorders, often without professional evaluation. Then, later, they declare themselves free of the condition – or “undiagnosed.” According to Psychiatrist.com:
“These videos often rail against the negative consequences of having a mental health issue, warning against the risk of misdiagnosis and the tendency to pathologize normal experiences. They sometimes question the validity of serious mental illness, asking whether disorders like borderline personality disorder or ADHD really exist.”
Some of these are really alarming. A TikTok user with the handle @4nn3m43 said she’d had a meal so her eating disorder was cured. @littlemissshinkicker claimed she no longer suffered from ADHD because “only boys can have it.” And then there’s the Instagram user who said she undiagnosed herself from having PTSD since she hadn’t fought in any wars.
The comments on these videos are just as concerning. One commenter said they were undiagnosing themselves from OCD because their room was messy. Several others claimed to be undiagnosing their health issues, including depression, anxiety, and weight problems by doing various things. Full disclosure: Some of these are meant to be satire, but for people who are desperate or easily influenced, these videos can be dangerous.
A broader study by researchers at University of Chicago, published by PubMed, discovered just how many videos were produced by nonmedical people. “There were 221 videos identified, which garnered over 300 million views and 1 million shares. Almost half of the videos were published by nonmedical influencers.”
Because we all carry powerful devices in our hands, information — good or bad — can travel in seconds. According to Medical News Today, “In the age of viral content and fast and furious social media communication, disinformation and misinformation, including about health matters, are spreading more widely than ever.”
Platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram tend to reward content that makes people feel something — surprise, fear, disbelief, hope. That means wild health claims often get boosted. Also, it’s cheaper and easier for someone to post bad advice online than it is for experts to correct it. Experts must follow rules, gather evidence, and often go through review. Misinformation creators can post instantly.
Believing bad health information isn’t just for the gullible, either. There are patterns and reasons behind it. Part of it is our minds: once we see something repeatedly, it can feel true. This is sometimes called the “illusory truth effect.”
Another reason is distrust. Many people do not trust governments, pharmaceutical companies, or big institutions, so when an outsider — someone on social media, for example — speaks, it feels more authentic.
When people realize they made a health decision based on bad information, many feel regret. In a 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, 55% of young adults said they regretted a health decision they made based on misinformation from an ad, social media, or a content creator.
In short, don’t believe everything you see or hear. Just because a video has a million views, it doesn’t mean the message is legit.
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