SAN ANTONIO — People go to social media such as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for life hacks. But now, adolescents are turning to those outlets and if they find the right kind of misinformation, the results could be deadly.
We've heard of Dr. Google, but now there's Dr. TikTok. Medical professionals warn avoiding social media for medical advice, because so much of it comes from people without medical training at all.
"These influencers are able to get into these living rooms and households of millions of Americans quickly, overnight, within seconds like it's done. And so that does make a difference," said Baptist Health Family Nurse Practitioner Erica Ormeno.
The quick fix can combine with a body image that can be exacerbated online.
"There's always been eating disorders, there's always been body dysmorphia. We've always had that. But now we have something to amplify it and we're able to like put that on social media," Ormeno said.
Research published in JAMA Network Open which looked at 600,000 people age 18 and under, from North America, Asia and Europe found nearly one in 10 adolescents around the world have used non-prescription weight loss products in their lifetime.
"Those include diet pills, laxatives, and diuretics." Dr. Carolina Solis-Herrera, the Chief of the Endocrinology Division at UT Health San Antonio said. "Anything else that you can find in certain stores or athletic stores that say that you're gonna lose weight, we recommend that you check with your doctor because many times they have stimulants."
Those stimulants are in high doses and that's the problem.
"All those stimulants might make you be less hungry and lose a little bit of weight. But they're not healthy and can have consequences like abnormal heartbeat, for example. So you don't want that," Solis-Herrera said.
Both doctors said before attempting any weight loss plan to talk to your doctor first, because they will help you choose a plan that will be safe and effective for you.