Can Artificial Intelligence Reliably Detect Risky Eating Narratives? A Comparative Analysis of YouTube Extreme Diet Videos

Öz

Aim: This descriptive study was conducted to identify characteristics that are related to binge eating in YouTube videos that have been shared with the keywords “extreme diet” and “diet challenge” and to compare classifications made by expert dietitians with those generated by an artificial intelligence model.

Method: A total of 49 YouTube videos that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. The video characteristics were evaluated in relation to the view count, number of likes and comments, video duration, and time elapsed since upload. The quality of information provided in the video was assessed using the Modified DISCERN instrument, JAMA Benchmark Criteria, and Global Quality Score (GQS). A study-specific Binge Eating–Related Scoring System (BERS), consisting of 15 dichotomous items and based on video transcripts, was independently applied by both expert dietitians and the Gemini 3 Pro artificial intelligence model. In addition, 89,240 user comments were analyzed using R-based sentiment and emotion analysis techniques. Google Trends data for 2021–2026 were also evaluated. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 22.0.

Results: The median number of views was 2,043,167 (IQR: 1,043,285–5,550,269). AI-based BERS scores showed significant positive correlations with the number of views (r=0.471), likes (r=0.453), comments (r=0.423), and video length (r=0.543) (p<0.05). A moderate positive correlation was found between expert-rated and AI-generated BERS scores (r=0.577, p<0.001). Higher binge eating–related scores were negatively correlated with educational quality scores (GQS). Sentiment analysis revealed that 41.3% of comments were positive, and the most frequently identified emotions were trust and joy. Google Trends indicated a peak in “extreme diet” searches in 2026.

Conclusion: Highly engaging YouTube content often not only normalizes extreme eating behaviors but is also received positively by viewers. AI proved to be moderately reliable for identifying binge eating-related features, thus suggesting its potential as a scalable screening tool for monitoring harmful health trends. Interdisciplinary collaboration is required to ensure that AI-powered content analysis aligns with public health priorities.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Nutrition
• artificial intelligence
• binge eating disorder
• social media
• YouTube

Etik Beyan

Ethical considerations were observed throughout the study. User anonymity was maintained and no personally identifiable information was collected or reported. All analyses were conducted in accordance with the relevant ethical guidelines for the use of user-generated online content.

Yapay Zekânın Riskli Yeme Anlatılarını Belirlemedeki Güvenilirliği: YouTube Radikal Diyet Videolarının Karşılaştırmalı Analizi

Öz

Amaç: Bu tanımlayıcı çalışma, “extreme diet” ve “diet challenge” anahtar kelimeleri ile paylaşılan YouTube videolarında tıkınırcasına yeme ile ilişkili özelliklerin varlığını değerlendirmek ve uzman diyetisyenler tarafından yapılan sınıflandırmalar ile bir yapay zekâ modeli tarafından oluşturulan sınıflandırmaları karşılaştırmak amacıyla yapılmıştır.

Yöntem: Dahil edilme kriterlerini karşılayan toplam 49 YouTube videosu analiz edilmiştir. Videoların görüntülenme sayısı, beğeni sayısı, yorum sayısı, süresi ve yüklenme tarihinden itibaren geçen süre kaydedilmiştir. Bilgi kalitesi Modifiye DISCERN aracı, JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) kriterleri ve Küresel Kalite Skoru (GQS) kullanılarak değerlendirilmiştir. Çalışmaya özgü 15 maddelik Tıkınırcasına Yeme ile İlişkili Puanlama Sistemi (BERS), uzman değerlendiriciler ve Gemini 3 Pro yapay zekâ modeli tarafından (video transkriptleri üzerinden) bağımsız olarak uygulanmıştır. Ayrıca 89.240 kullanıcı yorumu R programlama dili kullanılarak duygu ve duygu durumu analizi yöntemleriyle incelenmiştir. 2021–2026 yıllarına ait Google Trends verileri de değerlendirilmiştir. İstatistiksel analizler SPSS 22.0 programı ile gerçekleştirilmiştir.

Bulgular: Medyan görüntülenme sayısı 2.043.167 (IQR: 1.043.285–5.550.269) olarak bulunmuştur. Yapay zekâ temelli BERS puanları ile görüntülenme (r=0,471), beğeni (r=0,453), yorum sayısı (r=0,423) ve video süresi (r=0,543) arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı pozitif ilişki saptanmıştır (p<0,05). Uzman ve yapay zekâ BERS puanları arasında orta düzeyde pozitif korelasyon belirlenmiştir (r=0,577, p<0,001). Tıkınırcasına yeme ile ilişkili daha yüksek puanların eğitimsel kalite (GQS) ile negatif ilişkili olduğu görülmüştür. Duygu analizinde yorumların %41,3’ünün pozitif olduğu; en sık belirlenen duyguların güven ve sevinç olduğu saptanmıştır. Google Trends verileri, 2026 yılında “extreme diet” aramalarında zirveye ulaşıldığını göstermiştir.

Sonuç: Yüksek etkileşim alan YouTube içerikleri, aşırı yeme davranışlarını normalleştirebilmekte ve izleyiciler tarafından olumlu algılanabilmektedir. Yapay zekâ sistemi, tıkınırcasına yeme ile ilişkili özelliklerin belirlenmesinde orta düzeyde güvenilirlik göstermiş olup zararlı sağlık anlatılarının izlenmesinde ölçeklenebilir bir tarama aracı olarak potansiyel sunmaktadır. Yapay zekâ destekli içerik analizinin halk sağlığı öncelikleri ile uyumlu hale getirilmesi için disiplinler arası işbirliği gereklidir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Beslenme
• yapay zekâ
• tıkınırcasına yeme bozukluğu
• sosyal medya
• YouTube

Kaynakça

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