People that are Starving themselves

I always looks at food diaries before commenting, so usually end up deleting people that net super low because I really have nothing nice to say and I'm not going to encourage their behavior, so there's really no reason for us to be "friends"

You can only suggest they up their calories so many times, when they're obviously not taking the hint, yea. I'm not their mother, it's not my job to nag.

It really saddens me when I see this, typically I will try to say something and see if I can help. Sometimes my comments are met with anger, other times they seem to appreciate my concern, but do what they want to do anyway. Unfortunately we can't save or help everybody. I have had a few people take my advice, and thank me for it.

Some people are just really miss informed, as where others just don't care.

I'm the type of person that wants to help everybody if I can (this has got me in trouble time or two). :ohwell:

I think the best you can do is wish them well, delete them, and move on.

It's recommend that women should not eat less 1,200 calories per day, and men should not eat less 1,800. Unless supervised by a doctor. I'm NOT a Dr. but my sister in law is a certified nutritionist and personal trainer, I tend to take her advice.

Most people can't maintain that kind of severe calorie cut. There is a reason why eating disorders are rare (1% of the population). They are deadly diseases, absolutely, but people maintaining a diary like that probably aren't being honest. Or maybe there is a reason they maintain a low count (the Zone diet advocates 1100 for small framed women).

And maybe you should message them individually if you are actually concerned. Because I know what cures eating disorders and their potential victims- is someone making a broad public statement about others restriction habits and hoping the embarrassment makes them healthy again instead of driving them back down into a cycle of secretive actions to hide it from judgmental fatties (sarcasm here).

Your heart may be in the right place, but it's poorly executed.

At the risk of sounding mean, this has been addressed every damned day, those self-starvers have to know they're eating way too little. But as my daddy used to say, "You can't fix stupid".

Honestly... I dont think you should delete them, but rather encourage them to do it the RIGHT way. The reason why they are starving themselves in the first place is for love and acceptance..

I would never comment on someones diary without being asked what I thought of it. I will comment on their losses, exercise, days logged in etc.... And always in a positive way!

Now if they ask me for my "opinion" on their eating, I will give it.

It drives me nuts too! I have deleted like 3 MFP friends because of that. Can’t stand seeing it.

I actually will comment that I thought they ate too little and exercised too much. If I see they keep doing that I unfriend or wait for them to unfriend me. I don't want to support unhealthy habits and would hope my friends would tell me about myself if I'm eating too much junk or not enough as well.

I think it would be a good idea to get the full story before just deleting these people, given that they even mean anything to you in the first place. I personally have some really low calorie days during the week (between 700-1000), but I have a very good reason for doing this: I like to eat 2000+ calories on Saturdays and Sundays . I just make sure that my daily average is around where I want it to be which is about 1500 calories.

I tend to not try to run other peoples lives.

I don't feel bad at all if someone lost 1lb and I say "Hey, nice, good job on the lb"...even if they only ate 800 calories a day. My applauding the loss isn't applauding the method they took to get there.

It's a little different with "Help me posts", these to me are more of a "Please look over all my data and give me suggestions"...I would then give my opinion on their caloric intake.

It baffles me when I look at some people's diaries and see 500-800 calories a day, often with over 500 calories burned in exercise in a day.

Honestly it's such a sad thing to see, if they haven't developed an eating disorder, they will.

And you know what's worse (and what prompted me making this thread) is seeing people commenting after they complete their entry saying "great day!" "way to go" "awesome job!"



I don't know if I should take them off of my friend's list or what, I just can't stand seeing that.

You don't develop an eating disorder from super low calories..educate yourself before you attack vlc dieters...I hate those people that say...you MUST eat 1200 to lose or you'll starve, that's anorexiaaaaaa....fyi,I lost over 100lbs eating under 400 calories and I'm not dead nor do I have an ED....and I lost fast....with no loose skin, now I'm trying to eat healthy. EDs are mental disorders you either have one or you don't, I actually tried purging and....that lasted 3 days and I said screw it...I love food too much to ever have an ED. An ED is an mental illness that has several UNDERLYING factors that create it, mostly noted as defiance of some sort. Anorexia is lack of appetite I wish I was anorexic -_-....anorexia NERVOUSA. you can't become that....that's in DSM-IV Codes..a.k.a. literally "crazy" people, I'm talking people that see moving walls and turn into animals...... ... if you get Anorexia nervousa from vlc dieting... YOU ALREADY HAD IT before you started. Do them a favor and delete your self from their list.,

I think there's a difference between shaming someone's diet and not knowing how to help, feeling concerned, etc.

I hadn't seen such extreme cases before, it shocked me.

But yes I agree with others that mentioned needing friends here with similar beliefs and goals, that's what I'm here for after all.

I agree, most of us don't have the training or knowledge of psychology to be able to help someone with that mindset. I did the unhealthily low cal/disordered eating and workout thing for much of HS and college and i knew what i was doing the whole time, so I suppose I don't have much patience for people who are doing the same thing now (which kind of doesn't make sense in some ways but it is what it is), especially when it triggers back that thinking of "I could go lower than that, I can prove I've got the willpower, etc."
I find it to be unhealthy for myself by keeping people around that encourage this.

I think it would be a good idea to get the full story before just deleting these people, given that they even mean anything to you in the first place. I personally have some really low calorie days during the week (between 700-1000), but I have a very good reason for doing this: I like to eat 2000+ calories on Saturdays and Sundays . I just make sure that my daily average is around where I want it to be which is about 1500 calories.

I 100% agree. I have a trainer and I do what I'm told and it's working hella good!

This is what i do also... I watch what i eat very carefully during the week and on the weekend me and my family enjoy going out to new restaurants and eating whatever i please... Im glad to see that it has worked for you gals...