Tik Tok's What I Eat in a Day Trend Can be Harmful. Here's Why.

A smoothie, a bowl of strawberries and a burrito. Scroll. A veggie sandwich, a quinoa bowl and clementines. Scroll. A shot of a completely flat stomach, followed by a cup of cereal, half a pizza and a plate of pasta.

If you’re on TikTok, there’s a good chance you’ve come across a “What I Eat in a Day” video. From displaying “health-conscious,” vegan meals devoid of any junk food to “cheat days” decadently spent on burgers, ice cream and cocktails, the viral trend has spurred countless videos. Documenting daily eating habits has exploded in popularity among users, especially young women; the #whatieatinaday hashtag alone has more than 9.1 billion views.

For Sarah Geller, a 22-year-old from Rochester, N.Y., watching these eating-routine videos doesn’t feel great. Having grown up as a high school athlete and in the age of Instagram, she’s had her own struggles with disordered eating and body image, she said. She remembers obsessing over “healthified” recipes on Google, convinced that certain foods were off limits because they weren’t nutritious.