TikTok and Instagram wellness posts reflect orthorexia-related attitudes,

A content analysis of 300 popular TikTok and Instagram posts found that wellness messaging often mirrors attitudes linked to orthorexia nervosa. Researchers at Flinders University published the study in the Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science on 22 July 2026 after analyzing posts tagged #healthylifestyle, #nutrition and #cleaneating. The sample showed that 67% emphasized “clean” or healthy eating, nearly one-third promoted food restrictions or rules, and one in five framed foods as “good” or “bad.” Nearly two-thirds included body objectification, and many tied health to achieving a lean, toned appearance. Three-quarters promoted supplements or superfoods. The researchers reported that 78% of the creators were unqualified, and more than two-thirds of health information was misleading or deceptive. The authors caution the study describes content patterns and does not prove social media causes obsessive eating.