‘Needs to stop’: Anger as ‘chubby filter’ trend explodes in popularity
A viral trend is currently sweeping social media, but far from being harmless or fun, it exposes a “toxic” truth about our society.
If ever you needed proof fatphobia was alive and well, all you need to do is open TikTok at the moment and you’ll quickly find evidence it’s more prevalent than ever.
The social media platform has been flooded with videos that show people transforming their appearance using an AI tool which digitally adds weight to their face and body.
Dubbed the “chubby filter”, the trend is far from “fun”.
Health and wellness experts have warned the videos are “cruel and deeply damaging” and attracted widespread criticism from the general public who labelled the movement “problematic” and “toxic”.
‘Chubby filter’ trend is not funny’
Steph Claire Smith said she was horrified when a video, showing a young British woman in a floral slip dress, first appeared in her feed.
The clip, which has been viewed almost 13 million times in just a matter of days, shows the OnlyFans star’s body slowly becoming larger over the course of about 10 seconds, and is captioned: “If this doesn’t scare me into sticking to the gym, I don’t know what will.”
Smith, who co-owns wellness brand KIC with her best friend Laura Henshaw, said the undertone is “outdated” and reinforces “toxic expectations about what beauty or ‘worthiness’ looks like.
“When something like this gains traction, it’s not just a fleeting ‘trend’ – it leaves a lasting impact on how we, as a society, view ourselves and others,” she told news.com.au.
“We need to stop commenting on women’s bodies, full stop. It only takes one negative comment, or witnessing a toxic trend like this, to really stick with you.
“Those words or images can linger in the back of someone’s mind for years. They can show up in moments of self-doubt and chip away at confidence. It’s heartbreaking how something that might seem like a joke or throwaway content to one person can cause someone else very real and lasting pain.”
‘Long-lasting damages’
It was these concerns that prompted the popular Melbourne influencer to air her frustrations on TikTok, pleading for the trend to stop.
“Enough is enough,” the mum-of-one, who is currently pregnant with her second child, captioned the video.
“We’ve reached a point where the digital world has so much influence over how we feel about ourselves, and yet there’s still so little accountability for harmful content like this,” she told news.com.au.
“Trends that mock people’s bodies aren’t harmless fun; they can cause real pain, feeding into insecurities and damaging self-esteem. The fact that filters like this even exist shows how far we still have to go in terms of reshaping the way society values and respects all bodies. We can’t keep turning a blind eye to this.”
Melbourne psychologist Carly Dober agees, telling news.com.au the filter “inherently sends a message that looking chubby or having a different body type is comical and unattractive, or wrong”.
“When people use this without thinking in jest, I imagine many people with diverse body types seeing the commentary about what they actually look like and imagining the mental health impacts they might feel being the butt of the joke.
“This can lead to isolation, triggering disorder, eating or eating disorder behaviours, and triggering or exacerbating common mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.”
Ms Dober, who runs Melbourne’s Enriching Lives Psychology clinic, said she also questioned its purpose.
“I also wonder about what there is to gain from this? It’s not helpful and I would encourage people to think twice,” she said.
‘Fatphobia has never been so rife’
While other social media users have jumped on the trend, with countless videos emerging under the “chubby filter” hashtag, most have condemned the act.
“I cannot explain how toxic and disrespectful this trend is. Jumping on a bandwagon for views and likes is one thing, but people need to actually stop and think how much harm this can do to people,” one wrote on TikTok.
“This trend is just truly body shaming. sad,” agreed another.
As another declared: “Fatphobia has never been so rife.”
“It’s 2025 and we’re still laughing at people for their body type,” raged another.
“Such a step back in society’s beauty standards,” mused someone else.
“The ‘chubby’ filter needs to stop,” stated one more.
Alarmingly, some in bigger bodies have started using the same AI tool in reverse, dubbing it “inspiration”.
“Nooo, you’re beautiful as you are,” commented one concerned user on one of these clips.
“This filter is killing people’s minds,” said another.
To get a filter approved on TikTok, it must be created in the platform’s “effect house” tool and comply with the platform’s policies in order for it to be approved.
News.com.au has contacted TikTok for comment.