Is MFP a breeding gound for eating disorders
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Anything that can be used, can be abused. MFP is no exception.
This sums it up quite nicely. You can apply this to just about anything in life. Anything.0 -
MFP has enabled me to have a very healthy relationship with food these last few weeks. I think what the site offers is brilliant!0
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Hyperbole much?
It's not a "breeding ground for eating disorders".
The sky is not falling, Chicken Little.
Agreed!
What's "sad" OP, is you're depressing and pessimistic outlook on an innocent, helpful internet tool.0 -
They had the disorder when they joined and they'll have it when they leave.0
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Every day there is a least one post from someone who is struggling with their relationship with food.
I know that mfp 'promotes' healthly eating that posts which promote unhealthy eating are banned but the tools that we all use here food diaries, progress charts, congratulating people on loses etc, could also be used as tools for people with eating disorders and it's really sad.
I did use those tools to overcome over-eating. The tools were essential but you think that's sad. Just as much an eating disorder as under-eating and ultimately leading to shorter life span potentially if not addressed. Ok, so I'm being slightly obtuse but your point is daft and also ill-thought out. Rather like a bad workman blaming his tools.0 -
Every day there is a least one post from someone who is struggling with their relationship with food.
I know that mfp 'promotes' healthly eating that posts which promote unhealthy eating are banned but the tools that we all use here food diaries, progress charts, congratulating people on loses etc, could also be used as tools for people with eating disorders and it's really sad.
I'm not sure MFP promotes healthy eating! It does promote weight loss and eating the correct macro's for fitness, but that doesn't necessarily add up to health.
Calorie deficit = Weight loss
Macro selection = Fitness and body composition
Food choice = Health
In regards to a breeding ground for eating disorders - I think yes, but only in people that are prone to that type of thing.
If someone has an obsessive personality, then they will obsess over counting calories, just as much as they would following a diet which restricts food groups as opposed to restricting calories.
I do not think MFP is to blame for this!0 -
I think it may attract people who have eating disorders, as any weight-loss tool will. I don't think it creates them.Every day there is a least one post from someone who is struggling with their relationship with food.
I know that mfp 'promotes' healthly eating that posts which promote unhealthy eating are banned but the tools that we all use here food diaries, progress charts, congratulating people on loses etc, could also be used as tools for people with eating disorders and it's really sad.0 -
Just think about all the Lifetime movies from the early '90s about girls with eating disorders! Geesh!Eating disorders are sad, I agree. When I started on this site I didn't pick up on anything that seemed to "promote" me to eat anything less than the what I entered a my daily calorie allowance.
Agreed, someone could use the site for that, but I don't see how this is "promoted".
I didn't say that eating disorders are promoted I said that the tools used to lose weight could be used wrongly by people with eating disorders. I actually said that MFP promotes heathly eating, please re-read my post. FYI the only edit was to change an 'a' to an 'are'.
You do realize eating disorders were around before MFP and they found ways to do the exact same thing pre MFP right?
There are lots of places on the internet now where the tools are used to help those who are in the throws of an ED continue down their path...instagram, pintrest, FB (groups) any weight loss site
pre internet they were more alone perhaps but they still did what they did....
And Tracy Gold!0 -
I don't believe that MFP creates eating disorders. If someone already has one, it might trigger or enable it, but that's not MFP's fault. The features of MFP are helpful to me. Other people's issues are their own. I empathize, but I'm not willing to toss aside all the good that comes from this program just because some people bring their baggage to it.
^^ Yeppers
There's more than anorexia and bulimia eating disorders. What about those who have binge eating disorder (I posted DSM criteria below)? This site has helped a lot of people make it through. I certainly have a healthier relationship with food since looking at food as energy instead of a crutch.
MFP is kinda like a food support group. Everyone here needs/wants some kind of help and we're all in it together. There will be those who really try and motivate others, just like there's going to be the people bashing the process (not talking about anyone in particular). Like everything in life, it's going to be what you, yourself, make of it.
DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria:
** Recurrent episodes of binge eating. An episode of binge eating is characterized by both of the following:
>eating, in a discrete period of time (for example, within any 2-hour period), an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances
>a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (for example, a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating)
**The binge-eating episodes are associated with three (or more) of the following:
>eating much more rapidly than normal
>eating until feeling uncomfortably full
>eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry
>eating alone because of feeling embarrassed by how much one is eating
>feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty afterwards
**Marked distress regarding binge eating is present.
**The binge eating occurs, on average, at least once a week for three months.
**The binge eating is not associated with the recurrent use of inappropriate compensatory behavior (for example, purging) and does not occur exclusively during the course Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, or Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder.0 -
What if you get oatmeal from McDonald's?MFP encourages calorie counting which can be abused in many, many ways, not just by encouraging eating disorders... I mean it can be dangerous for uninformed people to build their diets around a preset numeric barrier, because you can still meet your energy requirements while eating unhealthy.
There is a difference between 300 calories of McDonald's fries and 300 calories of let's say.. oatmeal. A difference that some people do not care to know about.
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How about people who delete others with ED on MFP? Nice support and motivation right. They will get help from someone else.0
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I think it is. I think there is always going to be people who it for different purposes. Some maybe eating disorders. I personally am a compulsive overeater and I use this site to keep me accountable. I never lie on my diary, hence why its private.0
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anyone needing to use a food diary or encouragement from others to eat right has an ED of sort and without ED'S what need would there be for MFP anyway?0
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There are things about the site that are enabling, true. I used to use the site to track my calories in an attempt to stay well under 900/day. And yes, when you're already struggling with wanting to drop a drastic number of pounds the "under her calorie goal" and "lost x pounds" announcements can be painful to see.
But as someone who still dabbles in restriction now and then I have found that overall the site is very helpful. I have friends on my list who know my history and keep an eye on my diary for me. I have a lot of my friends on my list who are very into fitness, not just calorie counting, and seeing them post their workouts (fueled with plenty of food) is motivating. And there are lots of eating disorder related support group forums here.
All in all I think the overall tone of MFP is that of a place where people can come to heal, not one where an e.d. will be supported and encouraged - for that I'm very grateful.0 -
anyone needing to use a food diary or encouragement from others to eat right has an ED of sort
Shirley, you can't be serious.0 -
^^^ this.Anything that can be used, can be abused. MFP is no exception.0 -
I am serious. and don't call me Shirley!anyone needing to use a food diary or encouragement from others to eat right has an ED of sort
Shirley, you can't be serious.
ETA: actually, i don't agree with the quote within the quote up there. i didn't say it originally. i just had to finish the Airplane quote.0 -
There are alot of people that read the boards, but never post
the so-called "lurkers". There are lots of them, so I would point out that only a fraction of MFPers are posting with problems. So, no, I don't consider it a breeding ground, in fact alot of people try to steer members with eating disorders to get the proper help. I have seen this over and over, and therefore, It doesn't make me sad, but pleased that people needing help might just listen and get it. Try to think positive.
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I often see people using screwdrivers as a chisel or a pry bar. Makes me cringe. Is it the screwdrivers fault that it's not being used to turn screws?0
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I am serious. and don't call me Shirley!anyone needing to use a food diary or encouragement from others to eat right has an ED of sort
Shirley, you can't be serious.
ETA: actually, i don't agree with the quote within the quote up there. i didn't say it originally. i just had to finish the Airplane quote.
:-)0 -
I don't think MFP breeds eating disorders at all. ED starts long before logging on to any site to track food and exercise.0
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MFP is not a breeding ground for eating disorders. MFP cannot control peoples' behavior. In fact, I would state that this site is the total opposite. In addition to promoting healthy weight management, this site has a rule against unhealthy weight loss methods. Threads that violate the rule are locked or removed. Despite the seriousness of EDs, it still boils down to people taking personal responsibility for their health.0
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No. But if someone has a full blown ED (or the beginning of an ED) a site like this can fuel their obsession with food and body image.
I think, if used correctly, someone with an ED can benefit from the information here. It depends on where they are in their recovery.0 -
Every day there is a least one post from someone who is struggling with their relationship with food.
I know that mfp 'promotes' healthly eating that posts which promote unhealthy eating are banned but the tools that we all use here food diaries, progress charts, congratulating people on loses etc, could also be used as tools for people with eating disorders and it's really sad.
I would say that the vast majority of these people already have a lot of disordered thinking, ****ty relationships with food and fitness, and often times full on ED. MFP is a tool and is not the root cause of these issues...the root cause of these issues are deep seeded.0 -
I think body dysmorphia and trying crash dieting are things most teens go through at some point, especially the girls. I don't think it's all or even mostly ED.
I do feel like this site can be a breeding ground for FEAR of eating disorders. There are a lot of adults willing to give out exaggerated info ("1200 is dangerous!" "Not eating back is dangerous!"), thinking it'll fend off ED in others somehow. Or maybe they really believe that moderate-deep calorie deficits cause ED.
And there seems to be a lot of reading friends' or strangers' diaries and seeing low numbers and assuming they're accurate, not due to intermittent or just plain creative logging.
You'd think I'd be deluged with friend requests from ED people given that I defend 1200 level dieting but I don't think I have any. I think the real anorexics find the real pro-ana sites.0 -
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Well, I was attracted to MFP and had a disordered relationship with food--chronic overeating and a binge/restrict cycle quickly about to spin out of control. MFP (plus the help of my college's dietician and counseling) was exactly the tool I needed. It does work both ways. MFP is absolutely vital to my health--both mental and physical.
And I know I'm not alone in this--To all of you that are recovering and have reached recovery--YOU ROCK!
:drinker: 0 -
Does watching a horror movie make you go kill people?
Does drinking alcohol make you an alcoholic?
Does eating sugar make you a sugar addict? *ducks*0 -
All genuine eating disorders are mental illnesses. It's not really possible for a website to breed mental illness.. Individuals are genetically predisposed to certain things, certain mental illnesses. One's environment can trigger or encourage the expression of a mental illness/disorder, but that's it.
I think many people are confused when it comes to what an eating disorder is. I think people in first-world anglophone countries are so used to overeating (especially in the States. Our serving sizes are ridiculous, especially considering how many people in the world genuinely don't have enough to eat), that they freak out when they see someone eat a little less than the (admittedly overweight/obese) average. JS.
If anyone on MFP finds themselves getting obsessive, they should talk to a professional or do a bit of independent research. But, that really doesn't mean the person has an eating disorder. The traits of different mental illnesses already exist in the not mentally ill population. It's just that in those with a mental illness, those traits are excessive to the point where they can prevent the individual from living a standard life aka doing the things they need to do to support themselves, accomplish goals, etc.0 -
I wouldn't call it a breeding ground, but it sadly acts as an aggregate. But the same can be true for any other resource. People always find a way to misuse/abuse that which was intended for good.
This is my impression as well. I think it's a mistake to take from the unsurprising (though depressing) fact that people with eating disorders will of course seek out the tools offered by MFP (without MFP being responsible) that those tools cause the eating disorder. Eating disorders existed before these tools, obviously.0
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