EATING DISORDERS

If you see someone promoting a very low calorie diet on the message boards you can absolutely report them, as that's against MFP's rules and guidelines. The site doesn't control how low you can set your goals, though. Unfortunately you can't stop people from hurting themselves. Just try to encourage them to be healthy or to get professional help when necessary. For people with eating disorders, it's not an easy thing to stop their disordered behaviors and be healthy, so try not to get mad at them. It's not really about "common sense". Most people know it's not healthy, but they can't stop.

I feel bad for those girls!

I had anorexia off and on for five years from 2005 to 2010. I didn't use MFP, but I did log my calories into a site called Xanga ( not sure if the kiddos use that still ). I had a blog and belonged to blog rings of other girls who had similar eating issues as I had.

I used to only consume 700-900 calories per day. I'm currently on a 1200-1600 calorie a day diet ( I have the range for working out vs: not working out, and calorie cycling so my body doesn't get used to it and of course some leeway for myself too ) and I'm losing 1-2 lbs a week depending on what my body feels like doing.

But my current diet beats my old starvation diets! I'd rather work my *kitten* off at the gym and eat sensibly than starve myself. When I was anorexic I didn't work out. I would get sharp chest pains when I would even try to run.

It really isn't worth it. I hope the girls get better.

i always wonder where these girls parents and family are. i had a friend in high school who was bulimic and i was always amazed that her parents either had no idea or didnt care.

More often then not, many people suffering with eating disorders are really good at hiding their disorder due to stigma. For instance, most people don't go up to their parents and say, "Hey, I'm depressed/anxious/cutting/etc. and I need help." Sadly, a lot of people with EDs learn different tricks to keep their disorder a secret from their friends and family, even from those closest to them or overbearing parents. In the first few months, s/he might say they are simply on a diet and for more long term sufferers, the rationale might be "high metabolism". Either way, sad

Meshashesha2012, It's quite easy to hide making yourself sick. People see you eating but don't see what you do in the bathroom.
I made myself sick on and off during my teenage years and early 20s. Nobody knew or suspected... not even my boyfriend who I lived with during my 20s.

I'm in recovery for bulimia nervosa right now, have had my struggles with it for a few years now. And I also have several friends with EDs, and everyone of us is on a different setpoint in life.

And one friend of mine, P., wanted to lose weight with me. We are the same height and the same height (both in normal ranges) and we both starved outselves, had our binges etc... and While I started therapy and during this also an eating schedule, she continued her suffering.
She complains a lot. She hates a lot. She is angry (and can't be happy for me, which I absolutely get). She gained about 5 pounds the last two months (with several ups and downs), while I started eating normally again. I struggled a lot.
And I am not only healthier and more satisfied because I have more energy; I even lost weight.

There is no point in simply focussing on calories and restricting yourself over and over. Learn to love yourself. Learn how to treat yourself better. Learn that it's not "all or nothing"!

This year I started drinking milk with honey again before going to sleep. It seems such a simple thing but it was something I had not enjoyed for at least 6 years (besides during a binge)! And even though it's because of the honey (and maybe a cookie here and then) not the 'smartest' choice, but it is a healthy one, because it's healthy for ME.

You don't need to survive on 600 kcal to lose weight. And neither SHOULD you. I'd report anybody who is drifting off; for their own safety and to stop them being a trigger for other people [like me].

I think my sister may have had an ED in the past after a hard breakup. She got through it herself but I remember my family and I were totally at a loss. She was just so thin... But seemed to eat. We didn't know how to help her and didn't want to make her feel worse. It was terrifying.

Hmm not to be rude of anything but instead of blocking or not allowing them to use MFP how about you "friend" them and show them what a healthy diet looks like. Show them they can still lose the weigh healthily. I have eating issues. I never eat as much as I should. Working on it though. But honestly if I couldn't use MFP I'd be too terrified to eat anything.

Hmm not to be rude of anything but instead of blocking or not allowing them to use MFP how about you "friend" them and show them what a healthy diet looks like. Show them they can still lose the weigh healthily. I have eating issues. I never eat as much as I should. Working on it though. But honestly if I couldn't use MFP I'd be too terrified to eat anything.

Because you cannot help someone who doesn't want to help themselves.

Hmm not to be rude of anything but instead of blocking or not allowing them to use MFP how about you "friend" them and show them what a healthy diet looks like. Show them they can still lose the weigh healthily. I have eating issues. I never eat as much as I should. Working on it though. But honestly if I couldn't use MFP I'd be too terrified to eat anything.

Because you cannot help someone who doesn't want to help themselves.

^^^ Yup, this. I kept a few as friends for awhile hoping to have a good influence through diary sharing, etc. But it becomes clear very fast that many are not at all on the road to recovery. And while I tried to provide a good example, there were countless other "friends" who would like and congratulate unneeded weight loss and low calorie goals/ over exercising. I just cannot have that on my feed while I am trying to motivate and support others in a healthy way.