SkinnyTok & Anorexia: How Harmful Trends Thrive Despite TikTok’s Ban With Jen Tomei @askjenup

TikTok claims to have banned “SkinnyTok,” but disordered eating content continues to thrive under rebranded hashtags, edited images, and wellness culture language. In this eye-opening episode of Dr. Marianne-Land, Dr. Marianne Miller is joined by eating disorder prevention advocate and educator Jen Tomei (@askjenup) to unpack the rise of SkinnyTok and its harmful influence on teens and adults alike.

Jen, founder of the Jenup Community in the UK, shares firsthand experiences of discovering disturbing content on TikTok—even after reporting and flagging videos, the algorithm continued pushing them. Together, she and Dr. Marianne draw chilling parallels to the pro-ana forums of the early 2000s, and explore how new forms of tech—including AI-edited bodies—are further distorting body image online.

They also examine how neurodivergent teens, who are often more vulnerable to extreme thinking and sensory overload, may be especially impacted by these trends. Plus, they critique the rise of weight loss drugs like Ozempic and their potential to normalize restriction—even in pediatric settings.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why SkinnyTok still exists despite being technically banned

• How TikTok’s algorithm can push disordered content—even without user interaction

• What “pro-ana” and “thinspo” culture looks like in 2025

• The physiological damage caused by overexercise and undereating

• How social media is shaping disordered eating culture in schools globally

• The link between ADHD, cortisol, and disordered eating behaviors

• How weight loss drugs like Ozempic may impact teens' mental and physical health

• Why media literacy and early intervention in schools are urgently needed

CONTENT CAUTIONS: This episode includes discussion of disordered eating, anorexia, pro-eating disorder content, social media harm, and weight loss medications including Ozempic and Zepbound.

MEET OUR GUEST: Jen Tomei is the founder of Jenup.com, a UK-based organization providing school workshops on eating disorder prevention, body image, and self-esteem. A survivor of an eating disorder and a late-diagnosed ADHD adult, Jen brings both lived experience and professional insight into the complex intersection of neurodivergence, mental health, and diet culture.

🖥 Website: www.jenup.com 📧 Email: @askjenup

LISTEN TO OTHER EPISODES WITH JEN TOMEI & ON SOCIAL MEDIA & DIET CULTURE:

• Overexercising, ADHD, & Eating Disorders with @askjenup Jenny Tomei on Apple & Spotify.
• Navigating Social Media in Eating Disorder Recovery & How to Stay True to Your Values with Winter Groeschl, LPC on Apple & Spotify.
• How Diet Culture & Purity Culture Fuel Eating Disorders: Unpacking the Trauma Behind the Rules with Cassie Krajewski, LCSW @inneratlastherapy on Apple & Spotify.

CALL TO ACTION: If you’re a parent, educator, or school administrator looking to support teens in navigating disordered eating and body shame, we encourage you to reach out to Jen for school presentations and prevention workshops. Her work is evidence-based, trauma-informed, and fiercely body-liberation focused.

And if you or someone you love is struggling with food, body image, or recovery from disordered eating, you can work with Dr. Marianne Miller—licensed therapist and eating disorder specialist—in California, Texas, or Washington, D.C. Learn more at drmariannemiller.com.

INTERESTED IN HANGING OUT MORE IN DR. MARIANNE-LAND?

• Follow me on Instagram @drmariannemiller
• Check out my virtual, self-paced ARFID and Selective Eating course
• Look into my self-paced, virtual, anti-diet, subscription-based curriculum. It is called Dr. Marianne-Land's Binge E