'The danger is acting on half-truths': Dr Nighat Arif on BBC's Clickbait Clinic navigating health advice in the TikTok era

As one in three Brits reportedly turn to social media for health advice, a new series aims to educate viewers about trends that have gone viral across their social media feeds.

Whether people are using TikTok to explain unexplained symptoms or scrolling through Instagram for advice on how to live longer, social media has quickly become an influential source of health information. 

But when advice is marketed as 90-second clips designed to gain views, how can people tell whether it is actually evidence-based or just made to go viral?

This is the question to be tackled in the new season of BBC’s Clickbait Clinic, which sees Stacey Dooley, Dr Alex George and Dr Nighat Arif as they investigate health trends circulating online and challenge the misinformation behind them.

As a visibly Muslim woman who appears regularly on TV and works in medicine, Dr Nighat is a representation in a space that has historically lacked people who look like her. 

For Dr Nighat, the word ‘clickbait’ makes her think of "bold promises that outrun the evidence headlines," headlines designed to stop your scroll, not protect your health. 

"In medicine, that gap between hype and reality can cost people time, money and sometimes even safety," she tells The New Arab. 

Health advice in the age of TikTok

Dr Nighat’s decision to join Clickbait Clinic originally stemmed from her firsthand experience of patients coming in with information they had found online. 

"Because this is where my patients already are: scrolling, searching, and trying. I wanted to bring calm, evidence-based clarity to the noise and do it in a way that actually sticks," she says. 

Almost every consultation now involves something a patient has either "read or watched online," says Dr Nighat. She explains that while some of this information can be helpful, it can also be ‘alarming or misleading’, so she chooses to unpack it during her consultation. 

The appeal of social media is hard to resist.

"Access, anonymity, and algorithmic comfort" means people find answers quickly and without judgment, especially when asking questions that may feel uncomfortable.

"The danger is acting on half-truths," Dr Nighat explains, warning that viral health trends can contribute to delaying diagnosis, wasting money or people trying risky interventions.

Her advice is to look beyond the post on your screen and instead check the creator’s credentials, look for consensus, and avoid relying on a single viral post.

Ultimately, hoping that viewers will learn to pause before trying something. 

"Ask ‘who benefits?’, ‘what’s the evidence?’, and ‘does it fit my situation?’" she says before encouraging people to speak to a healthcare professional as their next step.

When misinformation goes viral 

Dr Nighat believes social media platforms can play an important role in sharing accurate information, particularly because they can reach a wide range of audiences, including those who may not engage with traditional health-related messaging.

"Social media can be powerful for accurate health information if creators cite sources, show uncertainty, and signpost proper care," she says.

The difficulty with social media often lies with the fact that algorithms are not designed to prioritise medical nuance.

Social media does get some things right, says Dr Nighat. "It can normalise conversations, reach underserved communities and can democratise knowledge."

But it also ‘rewards certainty over nuance’, with algorithms prioritising engagement over safety. 

This can help to explain why some people might trust a stranger on TikTok more easily than a medical professional.

"Relatability can feel like expertise," she adds. 

Someone who may look like you, speaks confidently and explains "what worked for them" can quite easily become emotionally persuasive. 

The use of artificial intelligence could also make this problem even more complicated. 

Dr Nighat says AI can be used to amplify health trends often through "slick scripts, convincing visuals, and endless variations of the same claim," creating content so quickly that it outpaces fact-checking. 

She believes that platform labels, creator accountability and teaching audiences to spot AI-polished persuasion are what is needed to address this. 

"If it makes someone pause and ask, ‘Is this right for me? That’s a win," she says. 

 

 

 

 

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Why Muslim representation matters

For Dr Nighat, the conversation doesn’t stop at misinformation. As a visibly Muslim woman and GP appearing on mainstream television, she has become a recognisable medical voice for those who may not always see themselves represented elsewhere.

"It means patients see themselves in the room before they even walk in," she says. 

"Visibility builds trust, reduces stigma, and tells communities: your health matters here too."

Dr Nighat believes representation can shift who we consider "credible" and hopes it will "make it easier for women to seek help without fear of judgment or cultural misunderstanding."

But representation cannot stop at putting diverse faces on screen. 

Language, cultural context, and health literacy can all become barriers to accessing reliable information, while long appointment wait times can push people towards ‘quick online fixes.’

"When the system feels distant, TikTok feels close," Dr Nighat says. 

Making health content accessible 

Working alongside Stacey Dooley and Dr Alex George, Dr Nighat says the programme aims to challenge health trends without shaming the people who believed them.

"Stacey asks the questions people really have, and Alex bridges clinical rigour with real empathy," she explains. "Together, we could challenge trends without shaming people who have been sold them."

Dr Nighat’s approach to sharing health information is rooted in making information engaging without sacrificing accuracy.

"Hook with empathy, not fear," she says. "State the evidence level, show uncertainty, and end with a clear ‘when to seek help’ signpost."

Her goal is not to make people think twice about what they see online, but to not to distrust everything they encounter. 

Ultimately, Dr Nighat believes social media can still be part of the solution. It can reach people quickly and open up conversations that may have previously been stigmatised. 

For Muslim women watching Clickbait Clinic, Dr Nighat’s presence represents more than just another doctor on TV. 

Zaynah Ahmed is a freelance journalist based in London with an interest in current affairs, women's health disparities and underrepresented voices

Follow her on Instagram: @Zaynahreports