Alexandra Johnson, senior research manager at CCDH, said there was “some hope to be gained” from the report as it showed regulation does have an impact.<\/p>\n
“But one video is too many and we don’t want any of this content to get through, particularly to vulnerable users, where just a small algorithmic nudge can be enough to push them into a very dangerous situation,” she said.<\/p>\n
Content still being recommended by YouTube included a “thinspo” (short for thinspiration) account showing a compilation of girls idealising extreme thinness; a video which promoted a diet with a daily intake of just 170 calories, far below the healthy level for teens; and a video claiming to help users lose weight subliminally that linked to a document promising “the most emaciated skeletal dainty body eva”.<\/p>\n
The study also looked at crisis panels \u2013 a blue box on YouTube shown beneath a video on a sensitive topic that can direct users to reputable support services.<\/p>\n
In 2026, none of the harmful eating disorder videos recommended by YouTube’s algorithm triggered a crisis panel, although the warnings did appear on other diet and body image videos the CCDH did not classify as potentially dangerous.<\/p>\n
Google said it prohibits YouTube content which encourages or provides instructions on eating disorders “while enabling people to share stories of recovery”.<\/p>\n
It has now removed the videos featured in the CCDH report for violating its community guidelines. <\/p>\n
“The wellbeing of our viewers is our top priority, and we work with experts including the NHS, Mind and the Mix to refine our approach to mental health,” a YouTube spokeswoman said. <\/p>\n
The site has launched specially curated videos from experts which appear when a teen account searches for a topic such as depression or eating disorders.<\/p>\n