TikTok has been forced to remove some videos on its platform that appeared to be promoting the use of "diet pills".
Teenagers using the social media app who search for that term have been shown "dangerous" information, including the promotion of epilepsy drugs said to aid weight loss.
The Pharmaceutical Journal launched an investigation and analysed the top 100 popular user posts under the hashtag #dietpills - finding that a number were advocating the use of prescription-only medicines for conditions including epilepsy, alcohol addiction and migraines.
The British Dietetic Association told the journal: "Diet claims that are unrealistic and not supported by evidence-based science on social media can be dangerous no matter what your age. But, for under 16s, they can have very real consequences."
A spokesperson from TikTok told the journal: "Our Community Guidelines make clear that we do not allow the promotion or trade of controlled substances, including prescription weight loss medication, and we will remove content that violates these policies."
The journal says that the social media giant has reportedly reviewed the "diet pills" hashtag and removed some of the harmful videos, but not all of them.
According to Statista, 24% of people aged 15-24 were using a TikTok account to browse and create videos as of late 2020.
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