#WhatIEatinaDay: The Quality, Accuracy, and Engagement of Nutrition Content on TikTok.

Social media platforms such as TikTok are significant sources of nutrition information for adolescents and young adults, who are vulnerable to unregulated, algorithm-driven content. This often spreads nutrition misinformation, impacting adolescent and young adult health and dietary behaviors. While previous research has explored misinformation on other platforms, TikTok remains underexamined, so this study aimed at evaluating the landscape of nutrition-related content on TikTok. This study evaluated TikTok nutrition-related content by (1) identifying common nutrition topics and content creator types; (2) assessing the quality and accuracy of content using evidence-based frameworks, and (3) analyzing engagement metrics such as likes, comments, and shares. The most common creators were health and wellness influencers (32%) and fitness creators (18%). Recipes (31%) and weight loss (34%) dominated the list of topics. When evaluating TikTok posts for quality, 82% of applicable posts lacked transparent advertising, 77% failed to disclose conflicts of interest, 63% promoted stereotypical attitudes, 55% did not provide evidence-based information, 75% lacked balanced and accurate content, and 90% failed to point out the risk and benefits of the advice presented. A total of 36% of posts were considered completely accurate, while 24% were mostly inaccurate, and 18% completely inaccurate. No statistical significance was associated between the level of accuracy or evidence and engagement metrics ( > 0.05). : TikTok prioritizes engagement over accuracy, exposing adolescents to harmful nutrition misinformation. Stricter moderation and evidence-based nutrition content are essential to protect adolescent and young adult health. Future research should explore interventions to reduce the impact of misinformation on adolescent dietary behaviors and mental well-being.