Counting Calories is an eating disorder?

Based on this article, I am just going to have to learn to live knowing I have an eating disorder and use journaling my calories, activity and thoughts for the day as a coping mechanism. O h w e l l. Honestly, sorting through every newsflash on what is healthy or not and avoiding being overweight/obese is kinda crazy. all my journaling does is keep me in check at my maintenance level, it doesn't stop me from work or play. Jeez.

Amazing that people who don't, or never had a weight problem get to have "scientific" opinions.

Logging food is important because it teaches us to understand our caloric intake. Exercising is very good for us, especially if we eat more than we should. People like this are idiots.

Honestly, I don't count calories. My obsession is counting carbs and sodium. With both Type 2 Diabetes and high blood pressure, those are the two things I have to watch more. I went to a lot of trouble losing the 50+ pounds, and reading the labels has done nothing but be helpful for me. If this is a "disorder," I think this is one I'd like to have.

Obsessive calorie counting can be a sign of of an eating disorder, but counting calories in itself is not. That's it.

^^^ this. it's totally context dependent.

Feeling tired is a symptom of flu, but not everyone who feels tired has flu. Not everyone who feels tired is even ill. Maybe they just had a busy day. Obsessive calorie counting is a symptom of an eating disorder, but not everyone who calorie counts (even fairly obsessively by many people's standards) has an eating disorder. Maybe it's what they need to do to ensure they're eating the right amount of food for their needs. And people with eating disorders will have a whole load of other symptoms besides obsessive calorie counting.

This doesn't' feel like a disorder to me.

I have been obese and I also have been in some 300 calories diet for months which back then sounded completely okay but now I see how stupid and crazy I was. I use to cry because I had an apple or a chicken breast and that was not on my diet , I use to get really sick.

But now yes sometimes I worry about my calories and have to plan what I'm going to eat but I like to call it dedication to my health. I no longer act as crazy and I understand it. I want to be healthy and find something that works for the rest of my life , I never want to go back to those 300 calories day and the emotional mess I was.

It is, but the main thing behind it is WHY you are doing it. are you doing it for health benefits or are you doing it because of the monumental fear of what could happen if you didn't.

If you go out for a meal are you terrified because you don't know 100% what is in it? or do you just enjoy your meal.... if you don't count calories during a day do you care?

It's along the same lines of saying being sad is having chronic depression. or being stressed is having an anxiety disorder. No sometimes sad things happen and you are sad doesn't mean you have depression. Sometimes stressful events are coming up and you get anxious about them, does not mean you have anxiety. Some nights are difficult to get to sleep, does not mean you have insomnia.

counting calories/ being OBSESSED with calories is a big criterion for certain eating disorders but it does not mean that everyone who has ever used an app for calories or read the packet of their food has an eating disorder.


*edit
I am in recovery from an eating disorder and have had disordered eating for at least 11 years... I used to plan my days intake up to 60 days in advance. things like every 20 days I would have a treat etc and NOT until then. I would break down in tears in the grocery store if a certain item I had planned for was out of stock. I would weigh all my food and put back flakes of cereal if they were 1g over... the article is referring to obsession like that. Part of normalized eating is flexibility and diversity.

...

I weighed 318 pounds when I didn't think about what I ate. I eat healthier and I move more. As a result I have gone from Morbidly Obese to just plain overweight on my way to a healthy BMI and weight. If that is an eating disorder then bring it on! I'm not starving myself or binging and my health is steadily improving.

We live in a world of processed foods and a food industry drive for consumption. JUST TO MAINTAIN GOOD HEALTH, we all need to be incredibly mindful of what we put in our mouths. This is not a disorder, this is a responsibility. If you want to achieve a healthy weight and you must either lose or gain to do this, it makes complete sense to not only monitor the healthfulness of what we eat but also the quantity/caloric value.

No.

I plan what my family and I are going to eat...so I know what groceries to buy at the shop.

This can take me 3-4 hours a week alone!