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Should healthy teens be counting calories?

alwaysworkinghard
alwaysworkinghard Posts: 4 Member
edited November 27 in Debate Club
I know there is an age limit to mfp but I have known countless teens that regularly use mfp, all are healthy and active. I feel like it is unnecessary for them as it focuses their attention to numerical values. I just realized that they could possibly have a different medical concern they use it for such as making sure they get enough iron, protein, or potassium ect... But most just use it for calories. I know one girl is specific about logging every morsel into mfp to know her calories so she can determine what she can and can’t eat. Technology😂
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Replies

  • 100_PROOF_
    100_PROOF_ Posts: 1,168 Member
    I know a few teen athletes that track to make sure they are getting enough protein which is very important.
    I think it's up to their parents to decide what is right and wrong for them and what websites they should not be using.
    There's many reasons why a teen may be tracking calories.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    I don't think using MFP is a problem in and of itself. I think plenty of teens had issues with undereating or overeating or general poor diets long before MFP and similar sites existed (or the internet for that matter). I would agree that most healthy average teenagers don't "need" to use MFP. But I think after years of logging here and seeing the diversity in adults who use the site, I don't just think of it as a site to severely limit calories in order to lose large amounts of weight. That is what I used it for as an obese thirtysomething, yes. But I have met lots of people here of all ages who are just using it to better determine what they are actually putting into their bodies at each meal. I think overall it's a good thing. A friend of mine who has a healthy, active 15 year old daughter was absolutely appalled/upset when her daughter and friends started tracking their calories on a similar site. I didn't really understand why she would be so upset. I'd find it much more upsetting if they were following some highly restrictive fad diet.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    edited June 2018
    Should healthy teens. Yes, if you consider the definition of healthy to include their mindset.

    For me, MFP is a great tool, and some of the things I have learned since I started using it are super helpful. I have personally been able to take those lessons off of MFP and not log for periods of time and maintain my loss. Whereas before MFP I just didn't really know enough about food and what I think of as "hidden calories" (you know, those "healthy" foods super easy to overeat) and appropriate portions.

    If they have shown signs of having obsessive behavior in the past, or seem to be striving for unrealisitic standards, then I agree it can be a very harmful tool.

    ETA - Editing to add that I think healthy teens should be allowed to track calories, that's what I originally thought you were asking, then realized I was incorrect. I am not saying they necessarily should be, unless they find it interesting or want to for a reason. No one should be made to, heathy or not, IMO.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I think it could be useful to track food intake for awhile to be aware of how many calories they need for their activity level vs how many they consume and make some informed decisions but I don't think someone at a healthy weight really needs to track their calorie intake on a daily basis.
  • Crafty_camper123
    Crafty_camper123 Posts: 1,440 Member
    edited June 2018
    I think it's good to be calorie aware as a teen. But it totally depends on their mentality because disordered thinking can happen easily. I remember as a teen I did try to be aware of what I was eating whenever I saw the scale creep up. But when I did I was always told by family & friends "You're so skinny! You do NOT need to be worried about your weight!". It's worth noting I was middle of normal BMI. But while I had good body image, I noticed my weight was creeping towards the overweight mark. But, to quell any worries that I was headed towards an eating disorder, I took their advice and tried not to worry about it.
    Fast forward & I've spent a good portion of my adult life overweight. I kind of wonder what would have happened if people just let me be ? If left to my own devices, would I have stayed at a more stable BMI? Or, ended down the same path that led me to be overweight? I'm not really sure. I would like to think that I would have had an easier time staying the same weight, but the reality is I love food and always have. But maybe developing good food habits earlier on in my life might have made moderation and balance a little more second nature.

    To summarize and actually make a point: Is it right for ALL teens? NO. Just like it's not right for all adults. However, I do feel like it's a valuable tool for some so that they are aware of what they are putting in their bodies. It could help some develop good habits to take into their adult life. It is totally dependent on their mindset and self image though.
  • Mandylou19912014
    Mandylou19912014 Posts: 208 Member
    alwaysworkinghard wrote: »
    I know there is an age limit to mfp but I have known countless teens that regularly use mfp, all are healthy and active. I feel like it is unnecessary for them as it focuses their attention to numerical values. I just realized that they could possibly have a different medical concern they use it for such as making sure they get enough iron, protein, or potassium ect... But most just use it for calories. I know one girl is specific about logging every morsel into mfp to know her calories so she can determine what she can and can’t eat. Technology😂

    When I was a teenager I loved how I just didn’t have the stress and worry over my diet! I ate what I liked and enjoyed being young and care free .. however I feel that I didn’t have the likes of Instagram making me feel pressured into looking a certain way, if a teenager has a genuine interest in diet and exercise then great 👍🏼 and mfp will work out for them .. but if they are feeling under immense pressure to look skinny because of social media and all the celebs then at a young age it could start off eating disorders etc.
  • swimmchick87
    swimmchick87 Posts: 458 Member
    If MFP was around when I was a teen, I wasn't aware of it, but I did start tracking calories my senior year of HS to lose weight. I'd always been thin, but my weight crept up with gaining a few pounds every year and by my senior year I was at the very top of my healthy BMI range (as in, if I gained 1-2 more pounds I'd be classified as overweight).

    I just kind of learned the calorie values of things and kept track in my head- aiming for 1500 calories per day, and started working out. It worked out really well for me- I lost about 25 pounds by graduation and felt and looked really good. The issue for me came when I went to college. I went to a small school that only had one dining hall, and they didn't provide nutrition information so I had no idea how many calories were in anything, and subsequently had no idea how to continue tracking so I could maintain my weight. TBH, discovering alcohol didn't really help either :wink:.

    I don't know if I'd have been better off doing some sort of "diet" that didn't involve tracking things so that I could have maintained better? If my college would have provided calorie info, would I have stuck with it? If I'd never started counting calories, would I be even bigger now? My hunch is that I would have become overweight much sooner and would be a lot more overweight than I am now, just judging by other family members.

    I think it just depends on the teen, honestly. On the one hand, if a teen is leaning toward eating disorder tendencies I think MFP probably could hurt them; it'd be easy to become obsessed. On the other hand, if they actually use it correctly it could build an early understanding of nutrition and what an appropriate amount to eat every day is. Obviously, the best thing to do for your health weight-wise is to never become overweight in the first place.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    I honestly don't know. There are so many different ways teens can be messed up.

    I was normal weight as a teen, but I'm thinking of my mother who was overweight her entire life, and describes being miserable eating out with her friends, always eating a salad while they ate fries, having her mother be ashamed of her, and her father tell her, "You would be so pretty if you just lost weight." My mother has been on every diet, damaged her heart with drugs, and never felt pretty. (And I have photos of her when she was in her thirties, and she was beautiful!)

    The one thing she has never done is honestly taken an account of how much she eats and her activity. Even today she says she wants to lose weight but won't use MFP because it's "too hard." She has done many stupid diet things which are in my opinion harder, but being honest about her intake seems to be literally impossible for her.

    Would her life have been different if she had been given a simple, practical tool for taking control of her eating at an early age? I don't know. But it could hardly have been more messed up.
  • EmmaM1997
    EmmaM1997 Posts: 3 Member
    It's a difficult question. I had MFP way back when and lied about how old I was when I signed up (I'm 21 now). Looking back, when I started I had good mental health but was a little overweight as I have been most of my life, so I wanted to lose weight and started using MFP. It wasn't until after I started using it did I get a tendency for low level disordered eating, and I think if I hadn't lost interest and was more determined like some other teens might be it could have turned into something more.

    However, now that I'm older and a little more mature I think MFP is a really good tool for me, just to be more aware of what I'm eating and in what kind of portions. If I had this information when I was younger maybe I wouldn't be overweight now. I think I agree with someones comment about that teens should be allowed to use MFP if it had a separate section that was more closely monitored and had plenty of information about healthy eating and sustainable weight loss.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    alwaysworkinghard wrote: »
    I know there is an age limit to mfp but I have known countless teens that regularly use mfp, all are healthy and active. I feel like it is unnecessary for them as it focuses their attention to numerical values. I just realized that they could possibly have a different medical concern they use it for such as making sure they get enough iron, protein, or potassium ect... But most just use it for calories. I know one girl is specific about logging every morsel into mfp to know her calories so she can determine what she can and can’t eat. Technology😂

    You don't need an app to track calories. It makes it easier.

    When my teenage dd was 20 lbs underweight it was extremely helpful to track her calorie intake with her to make sure she was getting enough calories to gain weight. We did it on paper for several weeks until we had some changes figured out that helped her gradually gain up to a healthy weight. We did not need to keep doing it daily for her whole weight gain process. If she had been a healthy weight I imagine she would have done it even less as it is a bit tedious. If she ever has a weight issue again she knows how to deal with it now. We had also consulted her doctor about her weight and she had a full check up to make sure there were not other causes.

    I think just calorie counting does not cause disordered thinking about food and bodies. It is a tool that can be misused if a person is inclined to do so or does not understand how to use it appropriately.
    I think kids/teens should have more guidance setting healthy calorie goals and are often treated like they are too mentally fragile yet also have adults telling them all the foods they like are evil. Ideally their parents and doctor should be involved in setting up a healthy eating plan. Not all parents are healthy guides to food and weight management though. A site/app designed carefully for teens with more professional guidance would be better but lacking that MFP probably fills the hole better than many extreme diet plans or you tubers for guidance. I'd rather my teen come here.
  • deputy_randolph
    deputy_randolph Posts: 940 Member
    "Healthy" teens (and by this I'm assuming you mean "normal, healthy" weight)...no.

    I track my calories, b/c I was an overweight kid and have a history of overeating. I have an 10 year old and a 7 year old. Both kids are at a healthy weight. I don't track or even estimate their calories. They don't have any issues with self-regulation or weight.

    I would not encourage my kids to track calories as teens. I feel like I've instilled the a lot of the necessary skills for them to monitor their weight and health in the future. A holistic approach from an early age is better than micromanaging later.

    If you are an overweight teen or have an overweight teen, I would suggest talking to a dr and seeing if the dr would recommend a dietitian to help educate about food/health.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    Most healthy people won't need to track calories. I suppose if they want more protein for sports, but otherwise I can't see counting calories as a helpful behaviour if you don't need it.

    If you are slim, you are probably doing something right so why change it?
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    edited July 2018
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    This is like asking should kids be introduced to accounting.

    Counting calories and managing a budget is just a mechanism to control variables.

    If you have disordered thoughts about managing or obsessing about calories this is a separate issue which needs to be addressed. Counting calories just exposed this behavior - not the cause of the behavior.

    These are my thoughts too. I'm not ashamed that I'm counting calories nor am I doing something wrong. It isn't my punishment for getting fat, just the tool I'm using to get less fat. I don't consider it a taboo subject with kids if handled with care, but I'm in the minority.

    There's a foundational logical flaw at the base of this - that "normal" eating exists or can be defined. It does not.

    If it does prove it.

    Moreso - prove it without calorie counting.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Why would a healthy teen need to?
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Why would a healthy teen need to?

    So they have the tools to budget effectively when their activity decreases.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Why would a healthy teen need to?

    So they have the tools to budget effectively when their activity decreases.

    I think awareness and knowledge and understanding the concept is one thing...actively counting for a healthy teen seems over the top. I'd guess it would result in more ED than anything.
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
    I think it would depend on the circumstances including how it's presented, the emotional maturity of the teen, whether the teen is actually interested in learning about it, etc. IOW, I think it would be a very individual thing. I certainly wouldn't want it taught in schools or anything like that.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    My kids are little now, but I don't see any problem in helping them track their food for a few weeks as preteens or teens, and showing them how it hashes out health-wise. I would consider it a learning opportunity while we discuss healthy eating and I'd welcome their participation in helping with the family meal choices based on what they learned. All just ideas. I'm going to homeschool, so a hands on approach to learning about nutrition might be useful. It's all speculation at this point.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Why would a healthy teen need to?

    So they have the tools to budget effectively when their activity decreases.

    I think awareness and knowledge and understanding the concept is one thing...actively counting for a healthy teen seems over the top. I'd guess it would result in more ED than anything.

    Does knowledge of accounting and budgeting cause spending disorders? Seems to be a solution as opposed to a root cause.

    I understand the desire for caution around this, but education isn't a driver of eating disorders.

    I just don't see how it's necessary. Millions of people maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle without physically counting calories.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Why would a healthy teen need to?

    So they have the tools to budget effectively when their activity decreases.

    I think awareness and knowledge and understanding the concept is one thing...actively counting for a healthy teen seems over the top. I'd guess it would result in more ED than anything.

    Does knowledge of accounting and budgeting cause spending disorders? Seems to be a solution as opposed to a root cause.

    I understand the desire for caution around this, but education isn't a driver of eating disorders.

    I just don't see how it's necessary. Millions of people maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle without physically counting calories.

    Obesity statistics don't prove necessity?

    As the necessity for activity diminishes we will need to react accordingly. Calorie counting is one effective means to manage this. It also debunks much of the diet/fitness industry woo and could provide an element of consumer protection.
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