Quick-fix weight-loss videos grow online as insecure Brits slam ‘burn fat fast’ clips

Quick weight loss videos on social media have soared by almost 300% in the last 12 months – and are having a negative impact on mental health.

An online analysis found that there were more than eight million posts in 2024 alone about “burning fat fast” on TikTok.

And Google searches for these types of “quick fixes” have increased by 581% in the last 12 months.

However, a survey of 2,000 adults revealed that 42 percent admit that “quick weight loss” content makes them feel insecure and has a negative impact on their mental health.

And 59 percent agree that celebrity and weight loss content is the worst thing on social media for your mental health.

The research was commissioned by ASICS as part of its ’15 Minute Weight Loss’ campaign, showing that just 15 minutes of exercise is enough to take the weight off our minds.

Professor Brendon Stubbs, leading exercise and mental health researcher at King’s College London, said: “By focusing too much on the short-term and often narrow-term possibility of losing weight, we are overlooking the profound and multi-faceted benefits that movement can have on our minds.

“The fact is that losing weight is difficult and takes time.

“Many people stop exercising before this happens because they become discouraged when rapid weight loss is not visible or, in some cases, not possible.

“Instead, if people focus on exercising for pleasure and mental health benefits, people not only protect their minds, they are also much more likely to stay involved in exercise in the long term.”

The analysis revealed that online conversations about exercise for mental health remain significantly less frequent.

The number of videos focused on “exercise + weight loss” increased 204% this year, 33% more than videos focused on “exercise + mental health.”

As a result, 70 percent agree that weight loss content on social media does not motivate them to exercise.

And 80% believe that focusing on celebrities’ bodies has a negative impact on self-esteem.

While a further 72 per cent believe society’s obsession with the perfect body is harmful to people’s mental health, the figures reveal.

Psychologist Dr Tara Quinn-Cirillo added: “Evidence suggests that rapid weight loss, through diets and exercise fads, often leads only to short-term gains and long-term negative consequences.

“The desire to lose weight quickly, perpetuated by social norms and widespread digital content about weight loss, can be detrimental to self-esteem and self-worth as people strive for an ideal that society has cultivated.

“The result can cause people to become obsessed with overusing exercise just as a way to change their appearance.

“What often goes unnoticed is the power of movement to support better overall health – so it’s crucial to reshape our relationship with exercise.

Activities such as running, playing in the park or even going up and down stairs are movements that can contribute to improving general well-being.

Psychologist Dr. Tara Quinn-Cirillo

“Moving the body releases dopamine, which improves mood, reduces stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, and has long-term benefits for reducing anxiety.

“And we don’t always need to practice ‘formal’ exercise to obtain these benefits – activities such as running, playing in a park or even going up and down stairs are movements that can contribute to improving general well-being.”

Gary Raucher of ASICS EMEA concluded: “The increasing focus on exercise purely as a tool for weight loss is concerning.

“Research shows that society’s obsession with exercising for the ‘perfect’ body is increasing pressure and turning people away from exercise.

“Today’s campaign is a crucial reminder for people to move through their minds, and not just through the way it changes their bodies.

“We have always believed in the positive impact of movement, not just on the body, but also on the mind.”

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