What is the female obsession with a 1200 calorie diet?

Speaking for myself ..... I eat a lot more than 1200 ...... Lol

I thought it was because 1200 cals is MFP's minimum allowed.

I eat 1800-2100 a day and workout 5x a week. I use the TDEE method and I lost almost a pound and a half last week. the 1200 cal a day diet is BS in my opinion. I did that diet and gained back 20 pounds because my body couldn't adjust to eating more once I tried to eat more than 1200 a day again.

I would faint eating that little..... I lift heavy..... 2200 is my minimum I consume each day.lol

I think mfp sets the intake at 1200 calories for any female who chooses to lose 2 pounds per week. Isn't that correct? If so, I would think that's why so many people come in to the forums asking about 1200 calorie diets.

Not sure but it's inhumane IMO. I think 1800 is inhumane some days

Multiple places (includig MFP) give it as the lowest amount you can normally eat nutritiously. I guess some people don't read past that and automatically think that the fewest calories will be the fastest way to lose weight. (Personallly, I think they're wrong, especially if they want to keep the weight off.) I've seen many people say MFP recommends that amount for them, but when you go through the numbers with him or her, you'll find that it does not recommend it for that person. So... I can't quite explain it either, but it does seem to be what many people (not just women although they are more likely to) think of as the "magic" number.

ETA:
WebMD and some other "medical" sites also recommend this as the absolute minimum for anyone not under specific, medically supervised guidance. But just because it's the minimum doesn't mean it's where most people should be. When you add in exercise calories, almost everyone, even a small, inactive woman trying to lose weight, should be eating more than 1,200 calories/day. And at 1,200 the foods eaten should be "nutrition dense" since otherwise you'll probably be missing critical nutrients.

I think mfp sets the intake at 1200 calories for any female who chooses to lose 2 pounds per week. Isn't that correct? If so, I would think that's why so many people come in to the forums asking about 1200 calorie diets.

No. MFP sets 1200 as the minimum that you should eat, regardless. The recommendation MFP gives is based on your current size and activity level, minus the rate at which you wish to lose.

I've always wondered this as well. Personally, I think it's because many do not understand how calories in/out really works and don't understand that they can actually lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way (albeit somewhat slower) with a higher calorie intake. What really gets me shaking my head are the ones that think 1200 calories should be their gross and they end up netting 500 calories or whatever with their exercise..and somehow they think they're being healthy and what not. I also think a lot of women have been "programmed" to think they should be eating like little birdies if they want to stay slim or lose weight.

I know when my wife got on here and it gave her the arbitrary 1200 she just chuckled and told MFP to f itself and input her own custom goal using TDEE. When she was losing (now just maintaining, but lost a good 20 Lbs) she was grossing around 1800-2000 calories or so, but she didn't obsess. She just ate food, ran, hit the gym and did all of the above consistently for some time and lost the weight.

It is pushed by almost every pop magazine.
They say "experts" said that is the lowest amount of calories you can eat while getting all your nutrients.
They have pictures of low calorie high volume food and they swear you can stay full on that diet.
They put a picture of a gorgeous model next to their "break through diet plan" and hope you will subconsciously equate buying their magazine and following their ridiculous diets with looking like the random model in yoga attire next to the article.
(Personally I believe you should fuel your workouts, and give your body what it needs...but who am I to argue with the people who sell magazines lol)

There are also nutritionists who will put people on these types of diets, however, they have to be very careful to eat a very balanced diet while restricting the calories so severely. I don't think anyone recommends it for a long term solution (At least I hope not!)

To me it is a fad left over from the super skinny models of the nineties... Hopefully people are starting to wake up and see that strength and health does not equal starvation and super skinny... If they disagree they should look up the popular fitness models diets...those ladies eat roughly 2500 a day and look SO much better then the starved 12 yr old boy look that people seem to want. (And if you look at them a couple weeks after a competition they do not regularly maintain the super muscular look. When not competing they look feminine, strong and curvy.

Check her out...
http://ingridromerofitness.com/2012/04/30/my-diet-the-most-asked-question-ever-have-that-hot-bikini-body-youve-always-wanted/

I am set to 1200 I eat back most if not all my workout calories. I use a HRM so hopefully I am in the correct ballpark with what I burn. I am only 5ft tall so for me that is the right amount to lose weight. I have to be honest what I have learned about all this working out losing weight...is it is NOT one size fits all. No two bodies work the same. It is trial and error to see what fits you best.

I thought it was because 1200 cals is MFP's minimum allowed.

^^THIS! There are many women who are older, shorter, etc that eat below 1200 as well, you just can't say it on MFP or you will get reported. 1200 is the safe number to claim. While 1200 is certainly not an appropriate amount for everyone, there are quite a few people that it works for while they are losing weight. You just need to be more careful with HOW you spend those calories, to make sure you get enough protein and other nutrients.
Some people also shoot for 1200, but don't measure everything 100% accurately, so maybe they are actually eating 1300-1400 cals. Aiming for a lower goal gives more flexibility and room for error.

BTW, 20+ years ago, 1000 calories a day was the standard amount to lose weight for most women, so 1200 is more than it used to be.

What I question is why so many people freak out when others choose to eat at that level because it works for them? If it is too few calories for them, they will soon figure it out for themselves.