Or is the competitive under eating on mumsnet harmful?

[foreverlobsters]

Full disclaimer- I have a history of eating disorders myself so am possibly over sensitive to this.

Have been reading through another currently active thread as well as what we eat in a day etc (which I occasionally post on and do find interesting). Why do people feel the need to post about their extremely low calorie days on here, or give potentially harmful advice? What's the incentive exactly- and are these people lying about how much they really eat or is most of the mumsnet population in an extreme calorie deficit? Do these people not see how selfish and damaging these posts can be?

More people in this country are overweight than underweight and if we assume that Mumsnet is representative (which it probably isn't but who knows) then more people will be overweight on here too

Agree that’s why the competitive under eating posts are a minority and the over eating ones the majority

No clue why the pp thinks mumsnet is London centric degree educated, that’s beyond nonsense. 😂

Sorry my mistake, I should have googled first but my point is that it must be concentrated in certain areas as I notice very few overweight or obese people

Sorry, I may have missed it, where do you live? I know when I go into London for example any train or tube station if you stand for two mins and there are ov rweight and obese people everywhere. In fact o don’t know any place where you only see slim people. Are you not in the Uk?

@foreverlobsters

Full disclaimer- I have a history of eating disorders myself so am possibly over sensitive to this.

Have been reading through another currently active thread as well as what we eat in a day etc (which I occasionally post on and do find interesting). Why do people feel the need to post about their extremely low calorie days on here, or give potentially harmful advice? What's the incentive exactly- and are these people lying about how much they really eat or is most of the mumsnet population in an extreme calorie deficit? Do these people not see how selfish and damaging these posts can be?

I get what you're saying OP. I've been a PT and in fitness 20 years ISH and I don't really like the way people talk a lot of the time. I think it's partly that individual approaches just aren't for sharing as they can make other people think they should be doing the same (but it wouldn't fit them).

Also we see the same weird fads just cycling around again and again over the years and people can get competitive and weird over them, defending their way over other choices.

The best approach is to respect your body as something that does more than put on fat or lose fat, exercise, eat healthy, make healthy.choices, and your physique will reflect that by becoming in decent shape. Really low calories, ongoing keto, competitive dieting, it's all quite miserable and often ineffective.

I find some 'eating' threads go from the ridiculous to the amusing but I can imagine if you have struggled with ED's it must be hard to read.

I remember one where one MNer said she couldn't manage to eat a whole chicken breast while another said it would take three chicken breasts to fill them up. Online you have no idea who might tell the truth or just be a goady git looking for a reaction.

@Dixiechickonhols

I think mumsnet demographic is less likely to be overweight - London centric, degree educated. People post on topics that interest them. Weight loss or food threads do definitely attract extremes on mumsnet. It’s not just confined to weight loss section, I can see how it’s easy to stumble across.

Actually there is literally thread going on about how people post on topics that don't interest them😁 Some examples are pretty funny

No its really too low.
My dietician friend was appalled when I told her than 1200 is a standard that people ho to when dieting xx

@purplepoppet92

No its really too low. My dietician friend was appalled when I told her than 1200 is a standard that people ho to when dieting xx

Spoken like someone who has never needed to diet. The NHS sets those limits so if you think you have some special insight I'm sure they'd be grateful for your assistance in single handedly solving the obesity crisis.

@Bluntness100

Sorry my mistake, I should have googled first but my point is that it must be concentrated in certain areas as I notice very few overweight or obese people

Sorry, I may have missed it, where do you live? I know when I go into London for example any train or tube station if you stand for two mins and there are ov rweight and obese people everywhere. In fact o don’t know any place where you only see slim people. Are you not in the Uk?

If you hang out at Kings Cross, Paddington, Waterloo with a cross section of the population, then you would. But if you hang out in leafy well-heeled areas you don’t see that many obese people. Or maybe I just don’t notice them? I don’t think so because I do notice when I leave London and suddenly there striking numbers of obese people.

I think a LOT of people who think they eat 1200 a day are probably measuring incorrectly.

Kings Cross, Paddington, Waterloo *

*stations I mean obv.

But if you hang out in leafy well-heeled areas you don’t see that many obese people. Or maybe I just don’t notice them? I don’t think so because I do notice when I leave London and suddenly there striking numbers of obese people.

Stealth boast?

Classic mn argumentative bluster from @TatianaBis and @Bluntness100 both posturing up and making inane points

@TatianaBis
casually chunterring about slim well heeled leafy London, where she presumably turns on her slim ankles
@bluntness insisting because she saw some obese people on London transports, so it follows that everyone in London is fat

And a parallel argument about whether m.n is Londoncentric.
Mumsnet is most certainly is, London & Home Counties centric

@Comedycook

I once read a post where the poster said they found fruit so sweet they could only manage to eat a piece once every couple of months. That really shocked me

Yes saw this or I might be thinking of the sugar thread where someone said they didn't eat any sugar including fruit. Which to means cutting out a lot of healthy nutrients from your diet. I think they also didn't eat root veg due to having too many carbs. Not exactly a varied diet.

I really don't think survivors of eating disorders should get to tell the rest of us what to talk about.
It's for you to stay away from the threads you don't like, not for MN to moderate the site so it suits you.

I haven't seen the recent threads being mentioned, but in general I don't believe there is any competitive undereating on MN. When I've seen people being accused of it it's for saying things like 'adults don't have to snack between meals', which is not undereating or competitive.

"No clue why the pp thinks mumsnet is London centric degree educated, that’s beyond nonsense. 😂"

It definitely is. You can tell from the posts and the threads. London and SE centric, which is normal because that's where a lot of the UK population lives and with a much higher than average income.

I think the thing is people can get evangelical about diets which have worked for them. It can be quite a revelation when you realise how starchy carbs and sugar can affect appetite. Doesn't mean you have to cut these things out completely or forever though. Equally people can be triggered by posts which remind them of behaviours which became extremely dysfunctional for them. However, not everyone has the same problems or difficulties.

Then you get the arguments which talk about which sector the op/other posters are most likely to fall into. Statistics get quoted, generalisations get made. Might get some not so subtle class prejudices rearing their ugly head.

In reality, no one really knows but some people's experiences might be informative and helpful if what you are reading seems to align with what you are experiencing.

@Bluntness100

Sorry my mistake, I should have googled first but my point is that it must be concentrated in certain areas as I notice very few overweight or obese people

Sorry, I may have missed it, where do you live? I know when I go into London for example any train or tube station if you stand for two mins and there are ov rweight and obese people everywhere. In fact o don’t know any place where you only see slim people. Are you not in the Uk?

People in London are much thinner than in Cardiff. I used to travel by coach from Cardiff to London. The coach goes through the posh areas of Chelsea and Kensington and it's immediately noticeable. You also see a massive difference (no pun intended) between Cardiff and the SW valleys. Go to somewhere like Merthyr and every second person at least is obese. It's very striking.

@ChirpyChirp

I once got slated on here for saying that a tub of Ben and Jerry's ice cream could last DH and I for a week. I was told that I was denying myself and being a competitive under eater and that most people eat a tub to themselves in one sitting.

So it works both ways I think. Some competitive under eating and some almost boasting about how much they eat.

Oh definitely. And arguing that women should eat the same amount as men.

Yes in Chelsea and Kensington I'm always struck by how few overweight people you see and the pavements are packed with joggers. Head over to Lewisham or other less affluent areas of London and I can assure you it's a different story

People in London are much thinner than in Cardiff. I used to travel by coach from Cardiff to London

Weirdly, i notice in London kids are fatter but adults are slimmer. My dd was one of only a couple of not overweight kids in her primary year. My sisters kids primary class in a northern town only one or two are overweight, the rest normal. I think there are more overweight adults though.

Maybe lifestyle? Longer working hours in london, no driving cars around so more walking, more child free adults and a younger demographic as families move out?

@Shallwegoforawalk

Everybody burns at least 1500 calories even if they're in a bloody coma.

Well that's ^ shite for a start.

Educate yourself. There's lots of literature online that you can read.

@grasstreeleaf

But if you hang out in leafy well-heeled areas you don’t see that many obese people. Or maybe I just don’t notice them? I don’t think so because I do notice when I leave London and suddenly there striking numbers of obese people.

Stealth boast?

Eh? It was harking back to @Fizbosshoes's post about MC areas.

She's not wrong: there is a link between obesity and inequality.

Except it's not always direct: some of the poorest areas of the UK have the highest obesity rates, but some low poverty areas also have high obesity rates (eg Swindon). And some deprived areas of London - eg Southwark have lower obesity rates.

"I mean look at this , you specifically posted that you have had ED and some posters are so compulsive they start posting weights and figures despite it being well known these are triggers."

OP started the thread FFS. You can't blame other people.

@Changemaname1

Agree OP

Someone: I had omelette for breakfast

Oh wow a whole omelette I’d never eat all that , I’d be full allll day from that

Sure you would . Do one

Some people would though. Some people can't stomach much in the morning. So what?