TikTok has banned 'legging legs' after toxic beauty standards backlash

TikTok has banned the term "legging legs" over concerns that the toxic trend could be harmful to those with eating disorders.

The widely criticised term "legging legs" began going viral on the platform after it was used to refer to the idea that only those with long, thin legs should wear the tight-fitting, bottoms - with no cellulite, hip dips or short legs allowed.

Now, TikTok has deleted the hashtag #legginglegs and, instead, it has been replaced with information about eating disorders or disordered eating.

No doubt this news will be welcomed by many creators who slammed "legging legs" as yet another toxic beauty standard for women to compare themselves to and also noted how triggering this trend could be for someone with an eating disorder or body dysmorphia.

"What are 'legging legs' and why is there a new insecurity on this app every week?" @sydneymarie469 said in a viral video.

"The latest 'leggings legs' trend makes me sick," Suzanne Baum, a lifestyle editor, micro-influencer and mother-of-three, told Indy100.

"It is the ultimate toxic punch in the face when it comes to putting pressure on youngsters that they have to have a certain body shape to wear leggings."

Psychotherapist and anxiety expert Kamalyn Kaur explained how toxic trends can affect young people.

"The narrow and idealized version of beauty can lead to young people developing negative perceptions of their own bodies," she said.

"This can lead to body image issues, low self-confidence, low self-worth, and development of unhealthy behaviours such as disordered eating or excessive exercising," she explained.

In the UK, approximately 1.25 million people have an eating disorder, according to Beat Eating Disorders. While 28.8 million people in the US experience an eating disorder within their lifetime, as per the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.

Recent studies have noted how social media usage can be linked to eating disorders in young people.

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