A new, strange phenomenon called the “plastic eating” trend for weight loss is gaining momentum in China on TikTok. According to clips doing the rounds on the internet, people, especially youngsters, are covering their mouths with plastic. Then they put food on the plastic, chew for a bit, and spit the plastic and food out.
What is ‘plastic eating’ trend about?
A new diet fad called the “plastic eating” trend for weight loss has taken over TikTok in China. In several clips doing the rounds on the internet, youngsters are placing food in a plastic wrap covering the opening of their mouths. They chew the food for a bit and then spit out the food and plastic at once.
The idea apparently is that simulating eating while using plastic wrap may trick the brain into believing that the individual has actually eaten. It appears this is done to prevent weight gain and reduce the chances of obesity. However, the effectiveness of this trend remains unproven, and, worse of all, it may result in serious health issues or eating disorders (via Dexerto).
Youngsters who are following this diet seem to believe that they can follow the “plastic eating” trend to reduce cravings by pretending to eat. Unsurprisingly, the video has garnered 8.7K likes, 2.2K comments, 4K bookmarks, and 2.2k retweets. Most users have slammed the trend.
One fan commented, “Ridiculous. If you’re afraid of obesity, manage your nutrition and eating habits, balance it with regular exercise, and stay disciplined. Doing something like this just makes it weird.” A second fan wrote, “Please don’t share this. Young women and girls will start doing this to lose weight. This is just another version of bulimia.”
A third fan penned, “A whole generation putting plastic bags over their mouths to feel ‘full’ is less a diet trend and more a red flag. When fear of weight beats basic safety, that’s not discipline; that’s pressure dressed up as self-control.”
A fourth fan remarked, “I’ve never heard of this, and I wouldn’t advise doing it. If you accidentally breathe the plastic into your throat or get plastic particles in your body over a period of time, you build up plastic particles in your body. That’s a hard no.”
