<\/p>\n
The video got near 14million views, more than 850k likes, and has been saved by almost 30,000 TikTok users. Kylie Jenner, wearing a skintight latex dress, promoting \u2018Korean cutting jelly\u2019 that she says is for \u2018digestion and debloating\u2019, adding \u2018my goal is to snack less for the new year, I\u2019ve been taking these everywhere.\u2019<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n Korean cutting jelly is marketed as a food supplement that aids weight regulation \u2018by inhibiting the conversion of carbohydrates into fats\u2019 and claims its fibre-rich content promotes regular bowel movements to support digestion. One website selling the product says it \u2018contains Garcinia Cambogia Extract, 100% natural plant-based ingredient that is known to curb cravings [and] reduce appetite\u2019<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n As such, it\u2019s been labelled as \u2018Korean Ozempic<\/a>\u2019 online, although it\u2019s important to note that Ozempic itself is not licensed as a weight loss medication, and this jelly is not associated with the brand.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n In actual fact, scientists are warning that the carb inhibit claim is overstated. Grazia has reached out to Foodology for comment, but is yet to receive a reply. \u2018You cannot effectively block carbs,\u2019 Harvard professor of gastroenterology Chethan Ramprasad told GQ. \u2018The idea behind carb-blockers is that certain plant extracts (like white kidney bean or garcinia cambogia) supposedly inhibit enzymes that break down carbohydrates, so you absorb fewer calories. In practice, the effect in humans is very minimal to non-existent. There isn\u2019t a supplement that actually prevents you from digesting carbs in a significant, reliable, or safe way. The \u201ccarb-blocking\u201d claim is more of a marketing hook than a physiologic reality.\u2019<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n ‘Garcinia cambogia has been studied quite a bit, and honestly? The results are pretty underwhelming,’ Dr Anita Raja explains further. ‘Most reviews find it might help people lose an extra 2 pounds over about 3 months compared to a placebo – which is basically nothing. A lot of studies show no effect at all. The \u201cblocks carbs from becoming fat\u201d claim is a huge oversimplification. Your body doesn\u2019t work like that – you can\u2019t just \u201cblock\u201d a normal metabolic process with a supplement without causing problems. If something actually prevented your body from storing energy, you\u2019d have serious health issues.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n ‘These products keep selling because supplements don\u2019t need to prove they actually work before being sold – they only need to be reasonably safe. Companies can make bold claims as long as they include fine print disclaimers. And when someone like Kylie Jenner promotes them? People trust it even though she\u2019s not a nutritionist or scientist.’<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n It’s more of a marketing hook than a physiologic reality.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s also important to note here, because we seem to need a reminder, that carbohydrates are essential for a balanced diet. As is fat, by the way. Neither of these macronutrients cause weight gain when eaten in moderation and combined with exercise.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Bloating is also a normal bodily function, often more so resulting from over-eating, eating high-fibre foods or swallowing air. It resolves itself with the digestion of food, and only if bloating is frequent or persistent does it quite medical intervention (in which case, seeing a GP is important, as they can explore underlying issues like IBS, food intolerances or hormonal changes).<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n In Jenner\u2019s video, she claims to be using the jelly for \u2018digestion and debloating\u2019 as well as helping her \u2018snack less\u2019. Some customers claim that the jelly helped them \u2018eliminate food noise\u2019, a known side-effect of weight loss jabs, while others say it essentially acts as a laxative.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n All of this is to say, why the hell is Kylie Jenner promoting this product? It feels as though we\u2019ve gone back in time, to when celebrities brazenly advertised \u2018detox teas<\/a>\u2019 that were, in essence, laxatives<\/a>, all through the guise of helping \u2018debloat\u2019. But enough of the fa\u00e7ade, please, let\u2019s call this what it is: thinspiration<\/a> content.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Notice how Jenner makes sure to include a shot of her in her tight latex dress after eating the jelly, which some would certainly consider a \u2018body check\u2019 \u2013 which for those with disordered eating, involves compulsive monitoring of your weight or appearance, but more widely refers to influencers displaying their bodies in a way that fuels comparison and promotes unrealistic standards.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Screenshot<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n While there was backlash online, the comment section was also filled with fans asking where to get the product, and that\u2019s the worry here.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n How many young, impressible people are watching their favourite celebrities shrinking thinner and thinner, comparing themselves in every mirror, and now being encouraged to buy products aimed at \u2018weight management\u2019? We keep worrying about the return of extreme thinness, and it can feel like an all-consuming inevitability that few of us have the power to change. We fear calling out celebrities that are extremely thin, because who knows what they\u2019re going through internally? It\u2019s a normal, empathetic response at a time when no one knows what\u2019s the right or wrong thing to say about another person\u2019s body \u2013 and the influence they hold over the way others see their bodies – but at the very least, we can all call out brazen attempts to capitalise on the return of thin being \u2018in\u2019, like Jenner\u2019s.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n She can claim it\u2019s about debloating, the same way celebrities claimed detox teas<\/a> were for \u2018gut health\u2019, but we\u2019ve been down this road before: we won\u2019t be fooled by smoke-and-mirror attempts to capitalise on rising fatphobia.<\/p>\n\n