A new trend has gone viral on TikTok — users can use an AI filter to turn their real-life photo into a body-positive one. Not everyone is happy with this «chubby filter» — users are asking for it to be banned
A new trend has gone viral on TikTok — users can use an AI filter to turn their real-life photo into a body-positive one. Not everyone is happy with this «chubby filter» — users are asking for it to be banned
Filters that use artificial intelligence to alter a person’s appearance are all the rage on TikTok. Many are harmless — one popular trend, for example, makes people look like they’re made of Lego. They’re often created by people who have no connection to TikTok — as seems to be the case with the new «chubby filter.» Some of the most popular videos using the filter have received tens of thousands of likes.
A slew of photos of people who have supposedly gained weight rapidly are flooding social media. Some describe the new look as a joke, others say it’s a form of «body shaming.» Experts also warn that the filter could contribute to a «toxic food culture» and contribute to eating disorders.
Sadie, who has 66,000 followers on TikTok, is one of those calling for the filter to be banned. «It feels like girls are saying, ‘Oh, I’m lucky I’m skinny, and being fat is probably the worst thing that could happen,’» says the 29-year-old from Bristol.
She said she’s spoken to women who have deleted TikTok from their phones because the trend made them feel bad.
«I don’t think people should be made fun of for their bodies just because they open an app,» she says.
Dr Emma Beckett, a nutrition scientist, told the BBC that she sees the trend as «a big step backwards.» «It’s the same old false stereotypes that plus-sized people are lazy and imperfect, something that should be desperately avoided,» the expert was quoted as saying by the BBC. She warns that it could have a wider social impact.
«The fear of weight gain contributes to eating disorders and body dissatisfaction, it fuels a toxic food culture, causing people to be unhealthily obsessed with food and exercise. And this paves the way for scams and fad diets,» says Beckett.
«In her opinion, the CC forces everyone to conform to narrow standards of beauty and health, rather than looking for what works best for their own bodies. This is detrimental to everyone’s physical and mental health,» she adds.
The BBC spoke to several TikTok users who said they were uncomfortable using the filter.
Nina, who lives in north Wales, says it feeds into a popular «narrative» that links people’s appearance to their self-esteem.
«It’s a toxic view that I felt should be left behind,» she says. «If the filter is clearly offensive, it should be removed,» Nina believes.
Emma, who lives in Ayr, agrees.
«My first thought when I saw the ‘chubby filter’ was how harmful it could be,» she says.
«People mostly said they looked disgusting because they were ‘chubby’, and as a curvy woman who essentially looks like their ‘after’ photos with this filter, it was upsetting to me,» Emma explains.
«Maybe the filter should have a warning. If there’s body shaming or eating disorders or anything like that, I think there should be a way to flag it. If people want to post it, they can, but it’s not being promoted to a wider audience,» Sadie believes.
