“Legging legs” is the latest harmful trend causing insecurity in girls and acting as a potential catalyst for eating disorders
On TikTok, the hashtag #legginglegs has garnered over 33 million views, showcasing a new trend where young women proudly display their “legging legs,” asserting that thigh gaps make yoga pants look the best.
Expressing concern about the resurgence of the trend, nutritionist Katherine Kofoed shared her thoughts in a video, stating, “Witnessing the ‘legging legs’ trend resurface on the internet feels like a rebranded version of the thigh gap obsession from the 2000s. Many girls I knew in high school developed eating disorders trying to attain a thigh gap.”
However, this time, millennials and older members of Gen Z, who remember the psychological impact of the thigh gap craze, are denouncing the revived trend as toxic. They caution that it could serve as a “catalyst for eating disorders.”
Representing my generation, millennial content creator Shannon Cole voiced her concerns in a TikTok video that amassed over 611,000 views, stating, “I’m speaking on behalf of my generation. We went through this ordeal, we were traumatized by it, and now there are young women making posts about ‘legging legs.’ Are you kidding me?”
Expressing her dismay, Cole called for a ban on content associated with “legging legs,” contending that the “disgusting” behavior portrayed in such posts could potentially trigger eating disorders among young girls who come across these videos.
In response to the proliferation of potentially harmful content on social platforms in recent years, major media companies like Meta have implemented additional measures to crack down on posts related to topics such as eating disorders. This move comes after these platforms faced accusations of contributing to the escalating youth mental health crisis.
Statistics reveal that between the ages of 6 and 10, young girls start expressing concerns about their weight. By the age of 14, as many as 70% of girls actively attempt to lose weight, with 12% of adolescent girls developing an eating disorder.
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Last year, a parent informed The Post that his daughter developed anorexia nervosa, a condition he attributes to intensified by excessive use of social media. He mentioned that social media apps provided her with “strategies on eating less, recommendations on specific foods to consume, and behaviors to avoid” in pursuit of a thinner physique.
Presently, TikTok users observe with disbelief as “legging legs” gain popularity on the platform, despite efforts to restrict similar content and promote body acceptance.
Expressing his incredulity, NYC content creator and DJ Griffin Maxwell Brooks remarked in a video posted this week, “What the heck are ‘legging legs’? That’s the same word twice, and now a bunch of 14-year-olds think they’re overweight. Are you proud of yourself?”
Another creator, identified only as Emily, dismissed the so-called trend as “the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”
In a TikTok clip, she exclaimed, “Do we realize that there are 15-year-old girls who wear leggings every single day and now feel that they cannot wear leggings because they don’t have ‘legging legs’?”
Viewers resonated with her feelings, reminiscing about the “slippery slope” of dieting from the early 2000s and expressing their apprehension about potentially reliving those experiences.
One user commented, “It’s so draining. It feels like every time we make progress, we end up taking five steps backward.”