Weight-Loss Controversy: Liv Schmidt's TikTok Sparks Mix of Fury and Praise

TikTok star Liv Schmidt is currently at the center of a firestorm of controversy because believes she knows the best way to lose weight: shame and blame.

The TikToker uses a combination of emojis and comments to do what she claims is "motivating" people to lose weight. Here's a look at what Liv has said, and why the internet is so furious.

Liv creates content that seems, on the surface, to be fairly typical. She shares fashion posts and quick glimpses into her daily life. But they aren't your usual posts. They come with a touch of "motivation." Her content series include "What I eat in a day" and "skinny girl essentials." Occasionally when mentioning weight or dieting, Liv will add emojis of pigs, whales, and cows.

Critics have accused her of being in denial about struggling with an eating disorder. Liv, however, denies having one and has suggested that obesity in America is a "competitive sport."

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Liv explained, "For me and my personal aesthetic, I like to be skinny and there's nothing wrong with that." While some say she's creating a dangerous dialogue in favor of disordered eating and glorifying eating disorders, Liv categorically denies any ill intent on her part. And the TikToker certainly has defenders, with many cheering on her "no nonsense" approach to weight management and "honest" approach to the obesity epidemic in America.

However, on Sept. 17, 2024, Liv's original account was nowhere to be found on social media. The TikTok star quickly made a new account, this time titled @notlivschmidt. Fans were quick to find her new account and celebrate her return, praising her for quickly getting back up and running.

In the aforementioned interview with the Wall Street Journal, Liv explained that she was confused about her page's removal. TikTok, for their part, cited, "community guidelines violations" for the reason behind her page's ban.

Liv has clapped back, saying that she was attempting to create a "genuine" space for people, and doesn't seem to understand why her content violated the community guidelines. Some people on Reddit would like to have a word.

Over on Reddit, users are taking credit for her page's shutdown. On multiple threads on, users admit to reporting Liv's content multiple times in order to get the controversial page taken down. The rival social media platform's users accuse Liv of "rage baiting" in her content, and shaming people for their weight. One user pointed out that you can report her content for violating guidelines about "eating disorders."

Even as they celebrated taking her page down, another user pointed out that she would be back soon. Before long, another user reported that she was, indeed, already back. So for now, the controversy isn't keeping Liv down, but Reddit is watching.