Eating disorders and MFP

Options
Tofuheart
Tofuheart Posts: 191 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi,


Been on the site for a few years but just recently back. Ive been wanting to add some new friends for motivation and support/to support.

However Ive noticed quite a few curt if not borderline rude friends criteria regarding eating disorders/low calorie dieting that people put on their profiles.

I myself do not have any of those issues and I don't support that behaviour or lifestyle but I was wondering if that is an issue on MFP. I have never come across anyone on here and I haven't heard of any.



Any insight would be helpful. Thanks. :)

Replies

  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
    Options
    It might be because having people on your friends lists with eating disorders might be encouraging/discouraging them in the wrong way or exacerbating their problem. Eating disorders are a mental illness and waving a set of dietary rules at them is probably not going to help - they might need professional help and I'm just your average Joe that lost a couple of stone to remove a muffin top. Personally I wouldn't want to in any way influence someone with an eating disorder in case I did something detrimental. Recovering anorexics or persons with EDs might be different because they have accepted a problem.

    But for their sake I don't add them as friends.
  • Kailee360
    Kailee360 Posts: 46
    Options
    I just don't think this is the place for the sort of Eating Disorder sufferer that becomes dangerously underweight - While ever people with this sort of ED are obsessing about calories and exercise they will not get healthy .
  • Tofuheart
    Tofuheart Posts: 191 Member
    Options
    Yes I realize that. I work in nursing and am very well versed with health and psychological issues connected with disorders.

    I understand why people wouldn't add them but I was asking if this is a common issue on here? And why would so many people have this listed in their profile. It just struck me as odd.


    Tks. :smile:
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    Options
    The only issues that MFP runs into are the bashing threads, those who have allowed theirselves to be vocal about their extreme low-calorie intake from an ED perspective (also any extreme low calorie perspective as a whole), etc. If their MFP profiles start linking to places that do encourage ED, they put a stop to it immediately and attempt to help the ED-affected MFP member with some information they share with said-member.

    MFP has made it very clear, and also indicated it in their Community Guidelines that folks who are using MFP to help with their recovery are very much welcome here.

    When they are caught using it to encourage their ED, they are addressed by upper management.


    As far as non-ED folks who indicate on their profiles that they dont want friend requests from those with ED... well... it really depends on what/how it is being said/displayed. Ive been lied to by someone on MFP who actually was an ED-advocate and they thought I would keep it quiet: and yes, I reported them immediately. I wont support it for anyone....

    Friend requests from those who have ED - Im not going to lie, I will just decline those friend-requests... Its an extremely sensitive area of behavioral health management (I work in healthcare so I speak on personal experience), I dont want to get caught up in someone with an ED who really should be referring to their Eating Behavioral Specialist for support. This website is not a clinical site nor do they have the type of clinicians available to give them any therapeutic help. I will though, through private messaging help find therapists in their area or contacts that they can use to help find someone who can help them that are from a clinician's angle, but thats about it.
  • smith176
    smith176 Posts: 27 Member
    Options
    I'm a recovering bulimic and I find MFP to be the only thing that keeps me sane, I need to record all of my calories to stop myself from losing control again.
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    Options
    I just don't think this is the place for the sort of Eating Disorder sufferer that becomes dangerously underweight - While ever people with this sort of ED are obsessing about calories and exercise they will not get healthy .
    Or they use it to make sure they are eating enough and don't revert to negative behaviors. I had friends with ED who were given extremely strict eating schedules to ensure that they were getting enough calories/nutrition. Obsessive, yes, but it worked.
  • SkyPixie
    SkyPixie Posts: 224
    Options
    I would always be happy to have a person recovering from an ED as a friend as I have been there myself and know how damn tough it is especially if you are going it alone.

    Not every ED is linked to a desire to be thin .. mine had nothing to do with that at all and if what I went through can help another person then some good came of a bad experience.
  • Princess_Sameen
    Princess_Sameen Posts: 290 Member
    Options
    I think if you are recovering thi site can be a great help and tool! and the end of the day it is how you use it that matters! Quite frankly what people do has nothing to do with anyone else.....
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    Options
    I just don't think this is the place for the sort of Eating Disorder sufferer that becomes dangerously underweight - While ever people with this sort of ED are obsessing about calories and exercise they will not get healthy .

    Actually this is a great place for those recovering from their ED's to help monitor and keep track if they are truly dedicated in their recovery process.

    Our patients are more motivated to use MFP than to record it in a paper log.

    EDIT: I meant to also include - for our post op patients who have had some sort of bariatric-related surgery, upper GI-related surgery, this is also the site our clinicians recommend as well....
  • rjlam326
    rjlam326 Posts: 16
    Options
    I agree with cramernh, this is a great site for people who suffer for ED's. I too work in the health care field and see it on a day to day basis. Recovery can be a very slow process and yes I also agree that this disorder is a mental health issue. I would be more than happy to befriend someone with this disorder.
  • Kailee360
    Kailee360 Posts: 46
    Options
    From my experience with Anorexia - Recovery was possible when someone else took control of all the nutritional requirements of the person wanting to get better .

    It would not have been possible to get this person healthy if she were logging into a site like this when she was suffering or recovering .
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    Options
    From my experience with Anorexia - Recovery was possible when someone else took control of all the nutritional requirements of the person wanting to get better .

    It would not have been possible to get this person healthy if she were logging into a site like this when she was suffering or recovering .
    Part of the recovery process also requires the affected individual to learn how to cope with the factors of stress or triggers that cause an ED to revert back to their habits.

    That is where behavioral modifications and management come in to play to help build up their mental strength to fight those triggers and learn how to appropriately function.

    Im also speaking from clinical experience as well.

Categories