Is MFP a breeding gound for eating disorders

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  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    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.
    Unless someone is very short (so that 120 is a healthy weight) 1200 is not a reasonable calorie goal.
    In fact, health professionals & researchers have said it's the minimum an average-size adult should eat unless under the supervision of a doctor (VLCD).

    (For example, in the 2010 dietary guidelines for Americans, they list 1200 cal as adequate for a 3-4 year old child.)
    http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf
    I don't want to hijack the thread so please read the links and info in my profile and provide your own as a counterargument and I'll include them in my profile, too. The 112 page pdf you linked doesn't seem to mention 1200 at all, and I don't think the calorie requirement of a growing child is at all pertinent to the needs of a shrinking adult.
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
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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.

    I have deleted people with ED who have no intention of recovery. I've had an ED and I've conquered it. I'm happy to help people who are serious about getting better, but it's not my job to support and motivate everyone, including those intent on harming themselves. It's not anyone's job, really.

    People use MFP for a variety of different reasons. Remember that.
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
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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 a 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.

    That's an awful thing to say, being aware of nutrition/calories and logging it does not cause eating disorders. The same way eating everyday doesn't encourage you to become fat.There are a lot of healthy resources here, just because some people uses them to facillitate their ED's does not make it a 'breeding ground for eating disorders'

    Eating disorders are a mental health condition, does watching sad movies cause clinical depression?

    +1

    This is excellent.
  • meridianova
    meridianova Posts: 438 Member
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    i've had eating disorder issues for better than half my life. i know it's all in my head.

    that being said, any tool can be abused. i get obsessive about logging my food, to the point of not wanting to eat something if i can't log it. i get obsessive about staying under my threshhold. i'm constantly dancing with that line between keeping myself healthy and just breaking free from the shackles of having to eat, because the ultimate in "just eat less" and CICO is not eating anything at all, right? and i won't be worthy of eating if i'm fat, that priviledge only goes to those who are thin and perfect, right?

    yes, this is the *bleep* i deal with. and damn if a lot of people here on MFP don't run over my triggers with mack trucks at times.

    the only breeding ground for eating disorders is the human mind. it wouldn't matter if they were here or any other diet-tool website, someone who has an eating disorder has to figure out how to deal with that first, then utilize whatever tools they choose to work with. but you don't get to blame the cart for the horse who draws it.
  • WhitneyAnnabelle
    WhitneyAnnabelle Posts: 724 Member
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    It can be, yes. It has the potential to create an obsession with calories and food intake. There are lots of people on here who have eating disorders that are fueled by the sense of control the site offers. I'm not bashing the site, but it's an unfortunate reality.

    Edit: That being said, MFP seems to make an effort at closing accounts because of this.
  • johnnylakis
    johnnylakis Posts: 812 Member
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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.
    Looks like I found somebody whose cup is half empty :(
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
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    It can be, yes. It has the potential to create an obsession with calories and food intake. There are lots of people on here who have eating disorders that are fueled by the sense of control the site offers. I'm not bashing the site, but it's an unfortunate reality.

    Edit: That being said, MFP seems to make an effort at closing accounts because of this.

    But that doesn't mean it's a breeding ground. Breeding ground implies causation. Eating disorders are mental health disorders that will exist with or without MFP.

    But, yes, the site does provide a tool to exercise the control disorder.
  • Tab122377
    Tab122377 Posts: 81 Member
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    Depends on the person.

    Personally it helps me know what is correct portions. Growing up i never had to worry, but as i age oh i need to be aware. My grandmother was and always a food pusher. I married in to a large family that food was the event. Divorced that family married italian family who cook and bake and went back up.. so as I personally was unhappy i new i had to make a chagne to be healthy. I have shared what i learn with family and we are all healiter because of it.
  • Rogiefreida
    Rogiefreida Posts: 567 Member
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    ED's have been around for longer than the internets have been around so I don't get how one would blame a tool like this, or blame chat rooms when ED's are a mental disease. I had friends who battled ED's when we were in junior high nearly 20 years ago, and they didn't get have them because they were logging foods on MFP or hanging out in pro-ana chat rooms.
  • Asherah29
    Asherah29 Posts: 354 Member
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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.

    If everyone had a healthy relationship with food there wouldn't be a need for MFP.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,955 Member
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    MFP is a tool. It's method of use is in the hands of the user. So the onus is on them. If they have an ED, it's up to them to not abuse it. Or up to them to heal themselves. Control can be good or bad. YMMV.
  • KrissyRawrz
    KrissyRawrz Posts: 342 Member
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    I didn't realise there were that many but then again it wouldn't surprise me. As odd as it sounds the first time I heard about MFP was in a magazine article about a girl saying it made her anorexic lol. Fortunately most people I have came across are people who are looking to lose weight, but I think that's because I've been looking for them *so not a stalker face*

    It's sad to hear MFP is a tool they can use to feed off their condition but the underlying issue probably still would have been there without MFP
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,955 Member
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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.

    If everyone had a healthy relationship with food there wouldn't be a need for MFP.

    True dat.
    My issue was already solved when I came back here, but it helps to avoid portion-creep.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Everyone needs therapy.
  • yellowlemoned
    yellowlemoned Posts: 335 Member
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    I firmly believe people who end up with eating disorders, will find a trigger in just about anything you place in front of them, just like someone can find something offensive in anything you say or do. If you look hard enough nothing is "safe."

    If it does in fact push people into an eating disorder, not only were they probably going to end up with one without mfp, but I'm fairly confident in saying it helps a few dozen more people for every 1 person it hurts.
  • zerstreutesMaedchen
    zerstreutesMaedchen Posts: 13
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    People who restrict calories are going to count them and restrict them regardless. If they weren't using mfp, they'd be using a calculator. MFP doesn't create their disorder.

    Also, some of us use this site for keeping track of macros, not calories. (for those who believe that all mfp users have unhealthy relationships with food.)
  • jnetprincess
    jnetprincess Posts: 2
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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 a 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.

    That's an awful thing to say, being aware of nutrition/calories and logging it does not cause eating disorders. The same way eating everyday doesn't encourage you to become fat.There are a lot of healthy resources here, just because some people uses them to facillitate their ED's does not make it a 'breeding ground for eating disorders'

    Eating disorders are a mental health condition, does watching sad movies cause clinical depression?



    I have to agree with you. I once had an eating disorder. It is a mental illness. It took years to recover. I now have a healthier relationship with food and with myself. Anorexia isn't truly about food. For me it was about punishment and control and low self esteem and depression. For others it may be different. But the anorexia was a symptom of bigger things going on. Anything in excess is unhealthy.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    No. However, it might be a magnet for them.

    MFP is a breeding ground for mean people, torso avi's, and bacon.
  • jnetprincess
    jnetprincess Posts: 2
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    I once had an eating disorder. It is a mental illness. It took years to recover. I now have a healthier relationship with food and with myself. Anorexia isn't truly about food. For me it was about punishment and control and low self esteem and depression. For others it may be different. But the anorexia was a symptom of bigger things going on. Anything in excess is unhealthy.

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