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Although I follow plenty of food blogs myself, I've never run across the type of blog that The Weighting Game and its commenters are talking about, the kind that is more of a food journal than a food blog. I personally think there's nothing wrong with sharing photos and recipes and having serious or fun discussions on food related topics. I do think this a great question to ask ourselves, though, so what is your opinion on food blogging as an eating disorder?
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9-22-2008 @10:44AM Sally said... With the exception of one gal who said she avoided food shows, magazines and so on, I don't think they're talking so much about food blogs as they are diet/weight loss, "issues with food" blogs. I've seen the same on various diet discussion boards.
I don't think food blogging is symptomatic of an eating disorder. Food blogging is a way to share recipes and the joy of food (and eating).
Blogging about your diet may or may not be related to eating disorders. For some, it's a way to stay accountable. For others, it may be more akin to obsessive food-related behaviors.
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9-22-2008 @4:45PM GL said... Food blogging is not an eating disorder. However, people with food related issues, eating disorders or who are overly obsessive may engage in food blogging. Two different things.
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9-22-2008 @6:06PM Tracy Williams said... I do know that blogging can be addictive, and yes, as someone who has blogged for almost two years, there were days about six months or so in where it crossed my mind to lie about something I ate for dinner, since I thought my small readership would be unimpressed. Than I slapped myself, posted pictures of the macaroni and moved on.
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9-23-2008 @5:20AM Amanda said... I'm a blogger, write about food and I have/had an eating disorder. I don't think they are related at all. When I write about food (I do local restaurant reviews), I write more descriptions of the eye and mouth appeal, not "I ate the whole hamburger and then had six chocolate chips! OHMIGAWD."
I don't think I would want to read a blog like that. I've read forums where people compare what they eat daily, etc. but none of the food blogs I read include someone's daily caloric intake. That would seem to be a pretty boring blog to me.
On the other hand, I'm commenting on a food blog. Maybe I'm in denial ;)
My mom sure thinks it's obsessive compulsive when I invite her out to eat and pull out the camera to photograph the food on her plate!
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9-23-2008 @7:39AM Amanda said... Oh, and I have been to and seen journaling type sites where they DO write about everything they eat and how much they excercise. I don't call that a "food blog." That's more of a personal journal to me.
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9-23-2008 @12:27PM Dixon Tam said... Hi... the picture in your blog post is from my Flickr site. Please remove the photo from your post. Contact me if you need verification. Thank you.
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9-24-2008 @9:18AM Adriane said... A double edged sword. When I first began using a food journal online to keep track of what I ate it was a great tool, opening my eyes to a lot of bad habits....then, I started to obsess-- I'd be on the site all the time, stress about eating, calorie counting and dread when that very occational sweet had to be documented-- it was like a purgatory of my own making!
Since then I've moved away from the site-- I use a lot of the basic knowledge it taught me, but now I'm not beating myself up when the occational indulgence finds its way to my plate-- I'm much more at peace with my eating habits.
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9-23-2008 @4:22PM leigh said... While finishing my degree, I was taking some pretty serious nutrition classes followed up by classes for my certification to provide eating disorder counseling.
By the end of the term, ALL I thought about was food. What to eat, what was in it, what would be a better choice, how I shouldn't be thinking that much about food, what I didn't eat, what I wanted to eat...I began to wonder where eating disorders actually come from, and how a food-centric hobby, career, or pastime might actually be a trigger for an eating disorder.
I do think that food blogging could be an extension or outlet for an eating disorder, and the high level of attention paid to foods could be the start of an eating disorder. BUT I do NOT think that food blogging is an eating disorder. Are chefs also suffering from eating disorder?
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9-23-2008 @10:06PM Shayna Glick said... @ Dixon Tam: no problem. It's done. Just FYI, your image is listed under creative commons licensing for commercial use.
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