Calorie counting is a hard topic. It became part of my life further into my eating disorder once being in hospital. Unfortunately, that’s a massive negative impact of being on an eating disorder unit, where the standard gossip is which snack choice has the lowest calories. It soon became ingrained in me and I learnt the exact numbers of every food item and which were the dreaded most ‘calorific options.’
Numbers have played an enormous role in my anorexia. Whether it’s the nutritional content of food, kilos or BMI. (BMI accuracy is a whole another conversation to be had!)
I am aware that in order to move away from my harmful behaviours, ‘un-learning’ numbers is something that has to be done.
When I walk into restaurants, I already scan in my mind which meals are safer. It’s pretty upsetting because I guess the whole fun of eating out in most peoples’ mind’s is choosing a delicious meal they might not be able to replicate at home.
When I heard about the new government bill coming into place from April 2022, enforcing all large businesses that provide food to label calories on menus, it left me raging. A large business is counted as having more than 250 employees in total. This then includes an enormous percentage of restaurants, cafes and shops in the UK, most a standard feature of our local areas. (Another sad reminder that small and independent restaurants and shops are disappearing from our high streets.) The reason for displaying calories on menus is designed to target obesity. The government’s thoughts, of which In some way I do see some logic, is that if people who are needing to lose weight see the calories listed next to each meal, this might influence them to choose a ‘lighter’ option and kick-start some weight loss.
In my overall opinion though, this is a highly ineffective method in fighting obesity. There is very little evidence to support it. Firstly, people who are ‘obese’ according to the BMI scale (which again is often inaccurate and more of a rough guide), are far more likely to be overweight from either genetic factors or from repeatedly eating far beyond what is considered a normal amount of food. This means possibly ordering multiple takeaways in a day, not just having one standalone meal out in a restaurant.
Including the calories on menus means that we are once again, introducing ‘numbers’ into societies. I know of course knowing some calories won’t suddenly cause everyone to develop a dangerous eating disorder, but it’s an unhealthy mindset to develop where we become to label food as ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ Yes, there are foods which are perceived as ‘healthier’ but it causes such anger in me when people think cutting out any carbohydrates which is an essential part of our diet, will lead to a healthier lifestyle. I am fully opposed to the saying ‘No carbs before Marbs!’
I think also something most people forget is calories are not something that measures nutritional content in terms of actual health. Athletes also require a large amount of calories in order to have the energy to practise their sports and also their BMI might be higher and often be classed as ‘obese’ on the scale as their muscle will weigh a lot. This does not mean they are overweight. A McDonald’s cheeseburger might contain similar calories to a meal rich in fibre and important nutrients. Nuts might be ‘higher’ in calories than a chocolate biscuit, but nuts are for example can be a healthy snack! (Of course this in NO way means that chocolate biscuits aren’t either!)
Placing numbers next to meals starts to introduce a mindset full of shame and regret if you ‘cave in’ and order a meal with a higher number. This unnecessarily causes guilt. If obesity is something someone suffers from, then there are much better ways to tackle it. A side point in that many people who are obese actually suffer from an eating disorder and eat overly large amounts to numb their true feelings. As said in previous posts, I believe all eating disorders have the same root.
Someone who is obese should not be shamed into embarrassment about their weight. They shouldn’t be forced to undergo tough measures which aren’t supported by a dietitian for example. There are many facets to obesity and eating more calories plays quite a minor role.
My friend Rachel who I met at my clinic (and has given me permission!) has asked me to share her valuable petition to ask the government to re-think their decision that is ultimately ineffective.
Please take a read and help her get as many signatures as possible in order for it to be considered in parliament. It would mean a lot to me.
I’m sure many of my readers might have differing thoughts and believe calorie counting will help combat obesity, and there are some positives, the only one I could think of is educating people that calories exist, but all in all I believe it is highly detrimental and damaging for society to be inundated with nutritional information that is often skewed and inaccurate and it is something we should all be aware of. I certainly hope the government will come to their senses and be aware of the negative impact it will have!
Very eloquently put!
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