Using Dating Apps Helps With Weight Loss But In Unhealthy Ways, Scientists Reveal

Millions of people around the world use dating apps. In recent years, the number of people using dating apps has grown tremendously.

People may have different reasons and intentions for using dating apps, but one thing remains true: dating apps are convenient. They allow you to meet people without even having to step out of your house and socialize. In this digital age, convenience is one of the most important things an app can provide.

Dating apps such as Tinder, OKCupid, and the like rely heavily on physical appearances with the former having swipe right-swipe left options to choose who you are and aren’t interested in. As such, physical appearance could make or break it with any potential matches. However, it is exactly this mentality that could be causing users to engage in unhealthy weight control behavior.

A team of researchers based at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health conducted research on 1,769 adults enrolled in the Harvard Chan Physical Activity study. These individuals answered a survey assessing their usage of dating apps within the past month and their engagement in unhealthy weight control behaviors within the past year.

The lead author of the study, Dr. Alvin Tran, reported that they found dating app users had a significantly elevated chance of engaging in the six unhealthy weight control behaviors investigated in the study. These unhealthy weight control behaviors include using laxatives, vomiting, fasting, using diet pills, using anabolic steroids, and using muscle-building supplements, and could lead to numerous intestinal problems.

The study found that compared to non-users, women who used dating apps were 2.6 to 26.9 times more likely to engage in unhealthy weight control behaviors, while men were 3.2 to 14.6 times more likely to engage in unhealthy weight control behaviors.

The most common of the six unhealthy weight control behaviors were vomiting, fasting, and laxative use. Out of the survey respondents who use dating apps, 22.4 percent of women and 36.4 percent of men reported vomiting, 44.8 percent of women and 54.1 percent of men reported fasting, and 24 percent of women and 41.1 percent of men reported using laxatives for weight control.

The results of the study are clear, showing that compared to people who do not use dating apps, those who do are more likely to engage in unhealthy weight control behaviors. While this means dating app users are losing weight, it’s being done in a very unhealthy way.