Eating disorders are about much more than food and weight, and yet, our most recognizable symptoms come in the form of food and weight. This is why there are some food behaviors that parents should treat with extreme caution while their child is in recovery.
Skinny Teas are heavily marketed on social media platforms, and it is very easy for your child to be convinced that these products are safe, effective, and healthy ways to maintain the weight your child wants to attain. Skinny teas use peer-based advertising to exploit social media channels. Our recommendation is that under no circumstances should parents allow their children to purchase or consume skinny teas. Skinny teas can be considered eating disorder behavior.
To present the reasons why we are reposting a powerful Instagram post from Dana Suchow (@danasuchow).
HERE’S WHY I HATE SKINNY TEAS:
1. SKINNY TEAS LIKE @fittea @flattummytea @skinnyfit.me ARE LAXATIVES
For many people with eating disorders, laxatives are used to purge calories. Using laxatives for weight loss is DANGEROUS. Not only do they dehydrate you and can make you really sick, but it’s a scientific fact that diets don’t work, and all these teas will do is lay the groundwork for a full-blown eating disorder.
2. SKINNY TEA COMPANIES TROLL EATING DISORDER HASHTAGS LOOKING FOR INFLUENCERS
I have been approached MULTIPLE times by skinny teas (and I know @nourishandeat and other big accounts have too). They start their email off with “Wow we love your IG and what you stand for..”
LOLLLL if they actually read my IG they wouldn’t go near me with a ten-foot pole.
But these companies troll curvy influencers and body positive influencers because they want to market their products as an “all natural way to love your body.”
3. PEOPLE PROMOTING DIET TEAS HAVE BEEN PAID IN CASH OR FREE PRODUCT
Do not trust anyone promoting these products. As someone who has been approached multiple times, I know what’s in it for influencers $$$.
And on that rare occasion, someone is promoting it on their own accord, don’t trust them either because they are using a tea with laxatives to lose weight. Whether they know it or not, this is dangerous behavior that is NOT self-love.
4. YOU WILL NOT LOSE WEIGHT FROM A TEA
Sorry ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ but you won’t.
People talk all the time about “bloat.” And sure, a laxative is going to get rid of “bloat”…until you have to poop again. Cuz hello you have a body that takes in nutrients and expels waste to keep you alive. So unless you lose weight through other ways, all this tea is going to do is give you a shitty at home colonic (no pun intended) and the next time you eat, that ridiculous “bloat” y’all talking about (that’s just food in your gut) will come back.
Oh & they also have ZERO TRANSPARENCY with their ingredients!
Lol, can you tell I hate skinny teas?
Emotional Regulation Worksheets
Give your child the best tools to grow more confident, calm and resilient so they can feel better, fast!
- Self-Esteem
- Self-Regulation
- Mindfulness
- Calming strategies
Dana “Hotpants” Suchow is a Speaker, Activist, and Event Producer. Since overcoming bulimia and compulsive exercising that resulted in permanent injuries, she has become a champion for women’s rights, eating disorder issues, and body positivity. You can follow Dana on Instagram @danasuchow ❤️
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