Who is Liv Schmidt? TikTok weight loss controversy explored as influencer's extreme diet sparks backlash

Influencer Liv Schmidt, who was unexpectedly banned from TikTok after posting multiple weight loss videos, has recently opened up about the experience. This comes after she was removed from the platform for posting content that was tagged as “dangerous” and “harmful.”

According to an article published on news.com.au, several critics called her account "sickening" and claimed that her TikTok videos were allegedly "incredibly harmful." After posting daily diet and weight loss tips, Liv Schmidt gained popularity on the platform. The article further stated that her videos have earned her a following of around 700,000 people, with specialists and dietitians characterizing them as exhibiting an “unhealthy devotion to being thin.”

As per her LinkedIn profile, Schmidt, 22, works as a social event coordinator for a private family office. However, in recent months, she has risen to prominence by sharing recipes and daily food intake information about how to stay in shape while working a day job.

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Liv Schmidt got candid about her TikTok ban

New Yorker Liv Schmidt also posted videos like "how to avoid the freshman 15" and "how to stop your emotional eating at your 9–5 job" on TikTok. The social media sensation is well-known for her "What I eat in a day" videos and "Skinny girl essential" recommendations.

Her page mostly focuses on body image. This is clear from her carefully curated Amazon storefront linked to her account, which features dietary supplements, ankle weights, and protein powders. Additionally, it includes numerous videos that offer strategies for preventing weight gain.

After being banned from TikTok, she opened up about the whole experience in a September 16 interview with the Wall Street Journal. She stated,

“For me and my personal aesthetic, I like to be skinny and there’s nothing wrong with that. Weight is a touchy topic, but that’s what the viewers want. A lot of people want to know what people eat. I’m honest about how it is hard work.”

Schmidt further stated to the newspaper that she "felt misunderstood" and that the decision had "confused and upset" her.

The influencer also contended that she was attempting to establish a genuine space, despite a TikTok representative citing "community guideline violations" as the reason for Schmidt's account deactivation.

Speaking to the same outlet, the 22-year-old said that she’s aware of how easy it is to fall victim to societal pressures surrounding body image and beauty. She also claimed that her own concerns were exacerbated by her time as a college student at the University of Arizona.

Liv Schmidt also said that she's motivated to speak because of her own experiences, even though she understood that the subject of weight reduction may be "touchy." She then told the outlet,

“If you look around and every single person around you is blonde and skinny, you’re gonna definitely feel more peer pressure to fit into that stereotype.”

According to the WSJ, she also stated in her since-deleted TikTok bio that her motivation to "save America from obesity one person at a time" stems from her own difficulties with body confidence. Now, Schmidt considers her personal aesthetic as “skinny.”

When asked why her content was successful on the app, Schmidt stated that she didn't have any food that was off-limits. She is neither a vegan nor eats gluten-free or dairy-free food. She’s not even a health nut, either.

The ban happened after some internet viewers found her videos to be triggering. By highlighting "it is important to stay skinny," her critics claimed that Schmidt glamorized disordered eating. They further demanded that the content posted by the 22-year-old corporate worker must be taken down.

Since then, TikTok has taken action, deleting her account and declaring that her posts on "disordered eating" violated community norms. Although the decision was well-received, Schmidt quickly defended her controversial content after it sparked a lot of debate.