No app-etite: Christy Harrison on children and weight loss efforts

These days, there’s an app for everything—things you never thought you needed (and probably don’t). Christy Harrison, author and registered dietitian nutritionist, contends that Kurbo, a diet app for children, is not only unnecessary but downright harmful. In this August 2019 New York Times essay, she argues that trying to impose weight loss regimens on children is a really bad idea.

Harrison, “I help people recover from disordered eating. Don’t buy your children this app.”

1. What are Harrison’s objections to the Kurbo app? Summarize them briefly. What modifications, if any, could the developers make to the app that would gain Harrison’s approval? Explain your reasoning.
2. The word “fat” is heavily loaded in today’s society. It is often thrown around to shame or insult, leading many people to avoid using the word entirely, opting instead for synonyms or euphemisms that can, in their turn, become offensive. Examine the terms that Harrison uses and the ways that she applies them. For example, she does use the word “fat,” but how does she use it? Does she refer to individual people as fat? How does she refer to the people who are often targets of body criticism? How does she refer to body sizes and types? Are her word choices respectful? Why or why not? Explain your reasoning.
3. Harrison relies heavily on evidence from research about weight loss, which she presents mainly as hyperlinks embedded in her text. How easily can you distinguish between Harrison’s assertions and the results of the research that she cites? Should she have included fewer hyperlinks and more direct quotations from the studies? Why or why not? (Read or re-read Chapter 5 of your text to help you respond to this question.)
4. Among the causes of weight stigma that Harrison mentions are messages about body size that children and youth receive from family members. What was your early experience with such messages or criticisms about your fatness or thinness? How did you feel about your body size when you entered adolescence? How might your feelings have changed since that time? Does Harrison’s essay prompt you to re-examine your attitude toward your body or your eating habits? Why or why not? Write an essay addressing these questions, using Harrison’s essay as your They Say.

Comments

[Ariana Padilla]

1. Harrison's objections to the Kurbo app are that it is ineffective, creates weight stigma, and causes eating disorders. Harrisons says that the Kurbo app is ineffective and that many children gain weight back. She also states that it is harmful for kids to lose weight because it creates health problems and weight cycling. It creates people to fat-shame others which leads to eating disorders. People will take diet pills, laxatives, and even make themselves throw up just to get rid of their weight.

4. An early experience with such messages about criticism about my weight was at a young age and my mother told me I was getting "chubby". I felt ashamed of my body entering adolescence. Since then though, I have grown to love my body and develop self-confidence.

2. Harrison does not use the word "fat" in an offensive manner. She uses the word to describe weight stigma and how people are prejudice toward overweight people. She is not using the word to target certain individuals. She refers to the people who are the targets of criticism as "higher-weight" and "larger bodies."

3. You can distinguish the hyperlinks Harrison adds between her assertions. Yet, I feel she should have put more direct quotations so the reader doesn't have to click off the article to go look at the research. It would be much easier if the reader could just read direct quotes.

4.

[Ellison Fischer]

1.Harrison doesn't agree with the traffic light method used in the app where bad foods are red and good are green etc. She approves of listening to how your body reacts to what you put in it. If the app was more about how you feel about when, what, and how much you eat then she would most likely approve of the app much more.

2. Harrison uses the word ̈fat ̈ very little and uses the word weight more throughout the article. Because of the negative connotation associated with the word fat, she does not use it. Weight sounds more proper and factual and doesn't immediately make you think negatively when you hear it, it just is what it is. She never calls anyone fat and throughout the article never refers to anyone in a negative way. She is trying to get the point across that everyone should love themselves the way they are and not have to weigh a certain amount and look a certain way.

3. It is easy to distinguish her assertions from the hyperlinks in the story but I think direct evidence would have been better because that way the reader does not have to click on and off of the article and have to look for what she is specifically talking about.

4. I was never told by anyone in my family that I weigh too much or that there was something wrong with my body. I was self-conscious as an early preteen around the middle school but I learned to be happy with the way I am and that not everyone looks like those girls you see on TV. I do think that body image is a big issue and this article seeing as I have younger siblings you could not feel great about how they look and it makes me want to help them and others and show that there is nothing wrong with the way they look.

[Logan Short]

In “I Help People Recover From Disordered Eating. Don’t Give Your Child This App,” Christy Harrison argues that children should not be put on diets, especially through the use of apps. She believes that weight loss in children can be detrimental to both their mental and physical wellbeing. She uses various pieces of scientific evidence to demonstrate the negative effects of what is known as weight stigma. She says that the portrayal of weight and weight loss is an overly emphasized facet of current society and that it can impact the lives of children in a harmful way. Harrison believes that dieting can cause numerous drawbacks, such as disordered eating, in adults, and that the effects in children can be much more severe at their young and impressionable ages. She says that weight loss apps can contribute to these habits of disordered eating because they can cause them to track their meals obsessively. She thinks that, in order to keep children mentally and physically healthy, it is extremely important to focus on their overall well-being rather than diets and weight.
I agree with Christy Harrison’s view that dieting techniques, especially weight loss apps, can mentally and physically damage children as they are growing up. I think that society places too strongly of an emphasis on body images and weight and that children are overly pressured to obtain a certain body type. While weight loss apps, such as Weight Watchers, can be utilized by and somewhat helpful to adults, I think that they can be harmful when used by the youth. Children should not have to grow up expecting themselves to look a particular way and they should not have to feel the need to resort to weight loss methods in order to fit in. I think that Christy Harrison’s argument against weight loss in children is valid and that children should not feel pressured to partake in these different regimens in order to achieve happiness or health.

[Bri Potestio]

In the article “I Help People Recover From Disordered Eating. Don’t Give Your Child This App,” the author Christy Harrison is arguing that parents should refrain from putting their children on diets, particularly through weight loss programs and apps. Her purpose in writing this article is to explain the damaging effects, both mentally and physically, of encouraging weight loss among children. Harrison describes how many adults who suffered from disordered eating had their disorders triggered by things they had learned about food and weight loss as children. She goes on to explain that weight loss apps could have the effect of causing a child to track their meals obsessively, ultimately leading to disordered eating. Harrison does admit that she understands the cruelty of society, and empathizes with parents who believe that their child should lose weight, as well as with children themselves who believe they should lose weight. However, she maintains that attempts to alter a child’s body are more likely to be ineffective and harmful to their well-being, than to have any other positive outcome.
I agree with Harrison’s idea that putting children on weight loss regimens could have detrimental effects on a child’s self esteem. I believe that as a young child, you do not yet have the self confidence and maturity to understand that size is not the most important aspect of your well-being. With that being said, I feel that encouraging a child to lose weight could permanently alter their self-image, and could have the effect of making them feel insecure throughout life, into adulthood. I believe that instead of prioritizing a child’s weight, parents should educate their children about food, and help them to appreciate their bodies, no matter the size. Altogether, I feel that Harrison’s view opposing weight loss in children is valid, and that parents should focus on their child’s overall well-being, rather than their weight.

[Maggie Lockhart]

In Christy Harrison’s article, she explains that Weight Watchers has released a new app called Kurbo for children. The app is designed to help kids ages 8-17 lose weight and Harrison does not agree with the program. She argues that attempting to make a child lose weight is dangerous to their physical and mental health. Harrison also claims it is ineffective and back it up with a study that shows that weight loss programs for kids have only produced short term weight loss. She tells the audience that Weight Waters admitted that the results would vary depending on age, weight, height, and that the results are not typical. She explains that trying to lose weight for kids and adults with this can cause weight cycling. Weight cycling is when one loses the weight then gains it all or more back and then the cycle goes on and on. She says this cycle can cause serious health issues such as a weight stigma which then leads to hypertension and other serious risk. Harrison writes that children aren’t in the position to make their own choices when it comes to losing weight and that this can cause disordered eating. This can happen in people of all ages, but especially children because they do not have the opportunity to learn their bodies. In order to fix this problem, she says diets are not the way to go, but that children need to be taught to trust themselves and be happy with their bodies.
I agree with the authors point that children should not be using the Kurbo app and that kids should not be made to lose weight and put on a weight loss plan. Children are still learning their bodies and who they are and want to be as a person, so I feel like making them lose weight can make them feel bad about themselves and in the long run hurt them. I don’t think anyone should just eat all sweets and unhealthy foods, like kids tend to choose, but I think that adults can help children make smarter choices about what they eat without putting them on a weight loss plan and using apps to come up with plans. Like Harrison mentioned, children are not in a position to make their own choices at the time, but they watch and take in everything that everyone around them is doing. Parents can change their own diets in order to teach children how to eat healthier and model a behavior that a child can learn as they get older. No child should ever feel bad about themselves or their bodies and I believe that trying to make them lose weight at a young age can lead to larger issues that will be harder to deal with in the long run

[Xiang]

In the article, Christy Harrison puts forward that children should stay away from any weight-losing program since attempts to lose weight are both ineffective and harmful to physical and mental health. To point out the ineffectiveness, she argues that most people- adults and children-who lose weight are likely to gain it back in long term, as they are unable to keep it off in long run. She also asserts that weight loss would lead to higher risks of suffering physical health problems for people at high B.M.I. Moreover, she illustrates that people who received comments of body size from their parents during childhood would experience higher level of depression and dissatisfaction of their body size when they grow up. She holds the idea that dieting, a useful method implied by weight-losing programs, would lead to disordered eating, especially for children who are likely to interpret the information far more strictly and thus fail to develop a good relationship with food and their body. Therefore, the author concludes that parents should help their children make peace with their bodies at any size rather than shrink their bodies through those weight-losing programs.

Personally, I disagree with Harrison’s view that children are not supposed to try to lose weight and use those weight-losing programs. Obesity is the root cause of all health problems but not the attempt to lose weight. Those bad effects of losing weight argued in the article are caused by the excessive weight-losing methods, whereas scientific methods of losing weight can be developed to healthy habits in life. Reasonable exercises and regulated diet habits not only help with reducing weight but also increase immunity of body, control body composition and form healthy lifestyle. These habits are more likely to be formed in childhood and parents are the best teachers to guide children with right direction. Parents should never trust their own inner wisdom about food” since children have little knowledge about food and all their wisdom is about the flavor of food. They are likely to get addicted by junk food, like fried chicken, and lose control of desire. Hence, it’s necessary for parents to help regulate and monitor their diet. More importantly, parents should impart knowledge and awareness of healthy diet to children. And those weight-losing programs provide abundant knowledge about food, from nutrition to calories. All information can be misinterpreted by children but it’s never the reason we keep it away from them. Under good guidance from parents, children can take advantage of these programs and form awareness of eating healthy and keeping good builds.

[Leonardo Acevedo]

In her article, Christy Harrison argues that the Weight Watchers app for kids can actually do more harm than good. She explains that it not only puts more pressure on children to lose weight, but that it is actually ineffective according to studies that show that the majority of people who lose weight will end up gaining even more weight back than they previously had. Throughout the article, Harrison comes back to this idea of dieting, and how it can afflict both adults and children alike. In the end, it can cause eating disorders and problems with body image, which would affect impressionable adolescents even more so. She says that it is better to avoid diets altogether and teach children about finding their own “inner wisdom” with food, so that they can trust themselves to eat what will benefit them personally and not what a diet says is guaranteed to help them lose weight.

While I can understand avoiding diets since everybody works differently and no one list of food options will work for everyone’s body type, I would disagree with Harrison in the sense that children need restrictions when it comes to food. Children do not think ahead, therefore, if given the choice they will not eat what will help them in the future, they will eat what tastes good. I understand Harrison’s suggestion in teaching children how to think for themselves about what foods are good for them, however I still think there has to be parental restrictions when it comes to what the child puts in their body. I say this because even adults are not fans of healthy foods, and many will only eat it for nutritional value and not the taste. While we can teach a child to understand the concept of nutrition, in the end they will always choose with their tongue, not with their mind, so while diets are out of the question, children are still not to be trusted with what they put in their body.

[Elise Sandlin]

In Christy Harrison’s article “I Help People Recover From Disordered Eating. Don’t Give Your Child This App,” she argues that children should stay away from weight loss programs because they are not only ineffective but also lead to a higher risk of health problems. She explains that attempts to make a child lose weight are likely to be unsuccessful and detrimental to physical and mental health. Harrison further justifies her argument that weight loss programs are ineffective in children by explaining that those who lose weight either gain it all back or gain even more weight. She highlights that this ongoing cycle will most likely lead to higher levels of depression and disgruntlement of their own body image. Instead of parenting everything a child eats, Harrison believes that it is important to let them “trust their inner wisdom” when it comes to eating. Furthermore, in Harrison’s article, she highlights the toll a weight loss program can have on a child and the toxic lifestyle it will most likely cause in the future.
While I agree with Harrison’s argument that children shouldn’t use weight loss apps or programs, I do believe, however, that a child’s diet should be monitored. In terms of overall health, nutrition is an important aspect to maintain. It is important to introduce a healthy diet to children at a young age so that they develop a taste for nutritious foods. I believe a critical aspect of balancing this logic with Harrison’s argument is the way in which health is introduced to the child. While it is vital for good nutrition to be stressed, the idea of eating well should be taught to the child with emphasis on personal well being. If children grow up eating with body image in mind there will be problems, which is why it is necessary to stress healthy eating habits with the child’s own happiness and overall lifestyle in mind. Promoting nutrition with positive motives can instill children with a personal desire to eat well, not just because they were forced to.

[Sarah Elvington]

In the article, “I Help People Recover From Disordered Eating. Don’t Give Your Child This App,” Christy Harrison breaks down the social norms and expectations of the body. She starts out the article by calling attention to the app called Kurbo. It is society’s view on appearance that enforces apps like Kurbo, which is a weight lose app for those ages 8 to 17 years old. Because the app is geared to kids of such young and impressionable ages, Harrison believes that the app is doing a disservice to those using it. Not only does it explicitly say that the effects are not long term, but it can have a lasting effect on the kids mentally. Harrison backs up her point by stating that it is often the kids that have weight issues early on, or are criticized for their weight, that have more weight related issues later on. Specifically, Harrison address the increased risk of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, mortality, depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem in those that experience weight-stigma. She believes that children should not be given this negative stigma for food at such a young age, and a good relationship with food should be formed. It is apps like Kurbo that Harrison blames for eating disorders, and her goal is to encourage positive body images.
I agree with Harrison’s view on the negative connotation that surrounds larger body types in society today. Although I do agree that apps like Kurbo do play a major role in body image, I believe it is social media that drives the intense desire for a certain body type. It is the constant pictures and endorsements of celebrities that many young and impressionable kids look at daily, and they make them believe that is what is expected of them. Many times, it is the early weight stigma that has a lasting effect on the children, and it even often times does lead to health issues. Overall, I agree that it should be more widely encouraged that people of all ages should develop a good relationship with food and their self-image.

[Michael Keisler]

In a New York Times article, author Christy Harrison argues that attempting to impose weight loss regimens on children, through apps such as “Kurbo”, is a bad idea. After immediately providing her view on the topic, she proceeds to provide several reasons for why this app is unhealthy and ineffective. Harrison first emphasizes the affect the word “fat” has on the children of today’s society. She explains how today’s society is unfair and cruel to people with larger bodies and throws around the word “fat” much too loosely. Harrison’s next point was the aspect of health. She explains how the idea of children weight loss is not only unhealthy both mentally and physically, but also very likely to be ineffective. Next, Harrison uses statistics and facts about previous children weight loss attempts. She explains how over the past 60 years, experiments and studies have been done in order to better understand childhood weight loss, and nearly all of them showed children regain all lost weight within five years.
I agree with Christy Harrison’s argument that child weight loss regimens are unhealthy. I don’t, however, believe that being overweight is ok. The idea of forced child weight loss regimens and apps is unethical; however, I do believe that it is beneficial for children to do some sort of exercise in order to prevent obesity. Additionally, I also think that the word “fat”, used derogatorily towards children, should obviously be frowned upon, but I do believe that it is good to hold others somewhat accountable. I think that if someone’s child is unhealthily obese, then it shouldn’t be wrong for them to put their child on a diet of some sort and push them to exercise more. Additionally, I believe there is a fine line between calling a child fat and forcing them to exercise when it is unnecessary, and looking out for a child’s health, and helping them fight obesity.

[Cody Robinson]

1. Harrison doesn't like the Kurbo app because he thinks it doesn't actually work. He believes that it may work in the short term, but in the long run people will gain the weight back and make their situation worse because of weight cycling. If the app showed a way to refrain from gaining the weight back in the future, Harrison might be more likely to approve of the app because his main reasoning behind not liking the app is that the weight loss doesn't stick and causes more problems than it solves.

2. Harrison mostly avoids using the word “fat” except for a couple of times when she is describing what other people would say. She instead stays respectful and refers to the targeted people as having “larger bodies” or “higher weight.”

3. It is easy to distinguish between her assertions and hyperlinks, but I think she should’ve included less hyperlinks and more quotes because it becomes tedious to have to keep on clicking on the hyperlinks and waiting for it to load and then going back to the article, it would’ve been much easier if she just pulled good specific quotes to support her argument.

4. I have never had the problem of being called “fat” or being told there is something wrong with my body. I was never really self-conscious about it because honestly I didn’t really care, but I know for some people it affects them a lot and they try to do whatever they can to look like the people on TV so they feel accepted by others.

[Tyrell Minor]

1. Harrison's objections to Weight Watcher's Kurbo app are that it can cause weight cycling, weight stigma, and eating disorders. Harrison believes there is no way the Kurbo app could possibly change to encourage weight loss in a healthy way, and so the app should be removed.

2. Harrison refers to these people as being "higher weight" or having larger bodies. Harrison remains respectful and polite as she doesn't use these terms in an offensive or insulting way. The only time Harrison uses the word fat is to provide a better understanding of weight stigma.

3. It isn't difficult to differentiate Harrison's own claims and the studies she cites, although the article could have been better if Harrison didn't include as many hyperlinks as she did, it is overwhelming and articles like these are meant to be read fairly quickly whenever one has free time. The abundance of hyperlinks invites the audience to read the studies while they are reading the article, which frequently diverts the readers attention, and is a waste of time.

4. As I was growing up, my family members, mainly grandparents and uncles/aunts would use jokes as a hint that I should be bigger and more muscular, and these comments did hurt my self image a bit, so as I was growing up I would wish that I was bigger and stronger, I gained a small interest in exercise until I had become happy with my body, which didn’t take long. Harrison’s essay doesn’t make me question my body or eating habits at all.

[Guadalupe]

This article is about the impact that dieting holds on people when they are put on diets from an early age such as 10 years old. This article states that a child growing up in a home where they are constantly hearing comments about their bodies is far more dangerous to their health than the food they consume. When a child from an early age grows up hearing constant reminders of how much weight they need to lose, what type of food they should eat, how they view their bodies, it deeply impacts their physical and mental health. Being put in a diet at such an early age leads to kids growing up eating based on calories, numbers, time instead of focusing what relationship they have with food. Growing up being completely focused on numbers leads to much trouble with kids as they were never able to develop a healthy relationship with food and they also never learned to create a positive image with their body. As the article states “ more than 55 percent of high school girls and 30 percent of boys report engaging in harmful practices including fasting, taking diet pills, vomiting and abusing laxatives to lose weight”. This quote demonstrates that females and males as kids that grow up hearing comments on their body and put on diet hold a very negative impact on them for a long time. It is important to help kids develop a positive relationship with their bodies and food to prevent them from obsessing with how others view their body, to obsess over numbers, developing eating disorders and not accepting themselves for who they are. It is mentioned in the article that putting a child on a diet holds no positive impact whatsoever on them as kids tend to lose and gain the weight but instead it leads to them holding a negative image of themselves. Also, making a child worry about their weight to fit someone else’s view of how they look can lead to them growing up to always wanting to achieve this perfect weight, body image and look that isn’t realistic. Creating such an image that cannot be attained leads to children growing up constantly looking for approval from other people and always thinking they are not good enough because they do not have the “perfect image”.

[sophia bond]

1. In Christy Harrison's "I Help People Recover From Disordered Eating. Don't Give Them Your Child This App," Harrison argues that the app Kurbo should not be an option for children. She believes that weight loss can harm the mental and physical well being of children/teenagers at any age. There's no changes to Kurbo that would change her views because in the long run, the weight will come back and the importance of a good mental state is more important than loosing a couple pounds.

2. The word "fat" is heavily loaded in today's society. In order to be respectful towards everyone, Harrison avoids using the term "fat." Instead she refers to people affected by body criticism as being "higher weight" or "larger bodies." Harrison uses the word "fat" very few times. The only time that word is used is to provide examples on the comments people say about people with a higher weight. She remains respectful and doesn't insult anyone.

3. The use of hyperlinks in Harrison's writing is beneficial to find where her evidence came from. Although it would be easier for the readers if there were more quotes because after every piece of evidence, the readers have to load an entirely new article to fully understand the evidence Harrison is using.

4. Growing up, the only comments about my weight came from myself. I would constantly criticize myself which negatively affected my body image. Entering adolescence I would question why I look the way I do and compared myself to others in my grade level. Over time my views changed and I began to accept myself and my body. Harrison's essay reminded me of the importance in having a positive attitude towards life and body images while also focusing on healthy eating habits.

[Esmeralda S]

In the article “I help people recover from disordered eating. Don’t give your child this app” by Christy Harrison, on children and weight loss efforts it speaks upon today’s society and how people often use the word “fat” in order to shame or insult someone, leading many people to avoid using the word entirely, that can in their turn become offensive. Harrison argues that children should not be put on diets, especially through the use of apps. She uses various pieces of scientific evidence to demonstrate the negative effects of what is known as weight stigma. She makes a point in which the portrayal of weight and weight loss is an over emphasized facet of current society and that it can impact the lives of children in a harmful way. She is trying to get the point across that everyone should love themselves the way they are and not have to weigh a certain amount and look a certain way. Our society is so unfair and cruel to people who are in larger bodies, so I can empathize with parents who might believe their child needs to lose weight along with any child who wants to. However, attempting to shrink a child’s body is likely to be ineffective and harmful to both physical and mental health. Many people; children and adults are unable to lose substantial amounts of weight in the first place, let alone keep it off long term. As the article goes on it mentions “More than 55 percent of high school girls and 30 percent of boys report engaging in harmful practices including fasting, taking diet pills, vomiting and abusing laxatives to lose weight. As many as 60 percent of 6-to 12-year-old girls are worried about their weight” leaving to say that this weight loss stigma is making a big and harmful impact into our younger and even much older generations, it is leading up to no good.

[Katie Fulmer]

1) Harrison’s objections to the Kurbo app include that it, along with other weight loss programs, are ineffective and damaging to physical and mental health because they can cause weight fluctuation, body image stigma, diseases such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, disordered eating, and more. The only modifications to the Kurbo app that would gain the author’s approval is focus on intuition in addition to positivity regarding food through means such as community forums, fun and healthy recipes, or exercise tutorials. This is because in the article, she clearly articulates her dismay towards focus on weight loss along with support of people learning to “trust their own inner wisdom about food” and making “peace with their bodies”. Change to the app and similar programs must retract from the normal toxic focus on weight, calories, and pounds in the writer’s opinion.
2) Harrison utilizes the word “fat” in a manner that aids her claim of the negativities of overfocus on weight. This is accomplished through the term being mentioned in phrases involving weight toxicity, including “fat stigma”, “fatphobia”, and “anti-fat prejudice” which connects the word with negativity, “overt nastiness and bullying”, and with being a cause of “depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem”. The author does not refer to individual people as fat; however, she refers to the people that are typical targets of body criticism with phrases including “higher-weight people”, “people at the high ends of the B.M.I. spectrum”, and having a “larger body size”. She describes different body types as a range or variety, and these word choices are respectful because they eliminate the stigma involving size through only including words such as “small” or “large” and avoiding producing feelings of approval through phrases such as “skinny” or disdain with words like “underweight” or “morbidly obese”.
3) Harrison’s effective writing style allows readers to easily distinguish between her assertions and the research that she cites. She does not need to lower the amount of direct quotations in the article because the ones she includes do not take away from her voice in her writing. In continuation, it is not necessary for her to lessen the hyperlinks she implements because they allow readers to learn more about the topic she is discussing if they are interested.
4) My early experience of messages or criticisms with fatness or thinness was, fortunately, mostly positive. I was a competitive dancer for most of my young years, so I never struggled with weight gain or disapproval, and, contrary to most people’s conception of dance, my teachers never emphasized remaining slim and was an issue that was rarely discussed. As I entered adolescence and when I quit dancing, I began to feel more insecure about my weight, especially because of warnings from my family that I needed to be vigilant of my eating and physical activity when I stopped dancing. Unfortunately, my feelings have progressively worsened as I spend more time on social media, stressed, and away from dancing. But, this article has encouraged me to become more accepting and reevaluate my perspective on my weight and food habits to emphasize trusting my “own inner wisdom about food” so that I can come to peace with these topics again.

[Thomas Demetre]

1. Christy Harrison, a registered dietitian nutritionist, objects to the weight-loss app Kurbo. Kurbo is an app created by Weight Watchers for children 8-17 years old. One of Harrison's objections is that losing weight is pointless because over half of people gain the weight back at some point. She also states that encouraging weight loss in children is harmful to a child's developing body and psyche. This is because losing weight and the idea that being fat is looked down upon and leads children to conditions such as anxiety, depression, hypertension, diabetes, or anorexia. Harrison would most likely approve of the app’s disbandment altogether because she makes it very clear that “If we truly want to help children be the healthiest and happiest people they can be, we need to stop putting them on diets of any kind”. Despite the app warning that the results will vary, Harrison would likely be more satisfied if they promoted using the app on your own accord, and not a result of what others think and/or say.
2. Christy Harrison does use the word “fat” but only using it in the context of it being a word used by people who are “anti-fat”. Harrison does not refer to individuals as fat but instead refers to negative ideas correlating with the word. Harrison refers to people who are often targets of body criticism to be “higher-weight”, but mostly just refers to those people as normal people, children, or adults. Harrison refers to body sizes and types as “larger” or refers to the body type as a high or low BMI.
3. Harrison’s assertions can easily be distinguished from that of the research that she cites. She should have included fewer hyperlinks and more direct quotations in order to ensure that the reader can read the article without having to transfer to other sites multiple times.
4. I had early experiences dealing with many people commenting on how “thin I was” and how I needed to “eat more”. Entering adolescence I began to feel more contempt with my body, however, I did start focusing on toning it. Since that time, I’ve learned to accept my body the way it is and do with it what I feel is right, and now I care less about what other people think of my body. Harrison’s essay does not prompt me to re-examine my attitude toward my body because I already agree with how she feels about body positivity and I don’t find that her article applies to me.

[Noelle Whitener]

1. In Chrissy Harrison’s “I Help People Recover From Disordered Eating. Don’t Give Your Child This App,” Harrison gives a negative review of the Kurbo app from Weight Watchers. She tells parents to stay away from this app for their children, writing that trying to force change on a child’s body can be very physically and mentally harmful. If the Kurbo app was geared more towards body positivity instead of either fat or skinny, Harrison would have a more likely chance of supporting it.

2. Harrison does not refer to anyone as “fat”. She refers to people who are overweight by writing “...people who are in larger bodies…”. She is completely respectful, as she does not call people “skinny” or “fat”. She only uses the word “fat” when talking about weight stigma and its dangers.

3. It is very easy to distinguish Harrison’s assertions from others’ research. She should not have included more direct quotations, because it would have taken away from her article and credibility as a registered dietitian. She does an admirable job of using her own words and showing her own argument, without too many quotes from other sources.

4. I have played soccer since I was four, and now also participate in track, cross country, and futsal. I have never had to deal with body criticism from myself or others. I felt confident with my body image when I was a kid. It was not something I ever really thought about. Sometimes now I wish I had better abs and more arm muscle, but it is not something I obsess over. Harrison’s article makes me feel more confident in my body, because I know there is nothing wrong with it. It also makes me realize I need to be both careful and respectful when talking about other peoples’ bodies, because everyone thinks and feels differently about themselves.

[Bryce Klein]

In "I Help People Recover From Disordered Eating. Don’t Give Your Child This App.", Christy Harrison lists the many disadvantages with dieting and weight loss programs for minors. She starts her argument by telling people to avoid apps meant for the sole purpose of losing weight. She backs this up by giving many problems caused by weight loss programs in minors, such as weight cycling, mental health decline, and long run health issues such as heart problems. I agree with Harrison, because kids shouldn't be expected to lose weight. People don't all work the same, and certain health aspects could even further ruin their life.

1) Harrison objects the Kurbo app by proclaiming "Unfortunately, attempts to shrink a child’s body are likely to be both ineffective and harmful to physical and mental health.". I agree with this, as it's promoting unnatural changes for a body that isn't even fully developed. Harrison describes the health concerns, mentally and physically. It can cause many things such as heart problems, and depression. If I could change the app, I would include the health risks and the fact that the weight loss program is only recommended if it's absolutely necessary. I doubt this would gain the Kurbo app any leverage, as Harrison studies dieting and would not agree with the health risks no matter what.

2) Harrison avoids using the term fat in the text, but whenever they do use the word "fat", it isn't used in a demeaning statement. Harrison proclaims "The scientific name for anti-fat bias is weight stigma (a.k.a. fat stigma or fat phobia)...". This is referring to those who are afraid of being obese due to any stigmas, and it's not specifically addressing one person. When talking about those who are targets of criticism, Harrison sympathizes with them by stating "Our society is unfair and cruel to people who are in larger bodies, so I can empathize with parents who might believe their child needs to lose weight, and with any child who wants to.". She believes that people can truly be affected by the cruelness directed towards larger people, and understands their decision to start a weight loss program. Harrison refers to different body types as "larger" and "smaller" bodies. Her word choices are respectful, as she avoids common insults such as fat.

3) Harrison's statements are not easily distinguishable between the sources she sites. Harrison cites "For example, a 2000 study of adults 20 to 45 found that less than 5 percent lost weight and kept it off long term. And a 2015 study of more than 176,000 higher-weight people age 20 and older found that 95 percent to 98 percent" which is only one example of the giant bundle of sources included in one sentence. Harrison should include less hyper links and quotations, as in many instances they take up the entire paragraph and leave no room for Harrison's statements.

4) My early experience with criticisms of my weight is only recently. I've always been skinny, but always at a good weight. However, I've lost over 20 pounds in the past year and I am severely underweight, and have met several criticisms of something that I can't change. I felt good about my body size when I entered adolescence. Harrison's essay has changed my attitude regarding weight loss, as she states "Over the last 60 years, numerous studies have shown that among people who lose weight, more than 90 percent gain it back over the long run." which makes me feel content that I will eventually be the right weight for my age again. I do not feel I need a change in eating habits, however.

[josey jennings]

1. Harrison's objections are that trying to use this app for young children to use will cause them to have low self esteem and an unstable mental health, as well as an unhealthy body. Some things they could change to make the app look more appetizing to Harrison are recommending healthy snacks or reminding you to drink more water; not telling you exactly what to eat every day. This is because more than likely the kids on this app will not want to eat the foods they tell you to eat and the exercise they want you to do.
2. Harrison does say the word "fat" in her writing, but she only uses it when describing vocabulary used by those who are "anti-fat. She knows the effect of words and remains respectful throughout her writing, like saying people who are targeted are in "larger bodies" and not saying the word "fat".
3. Harrison should not have used as many hyperlinks as she did, and should've used more direct quotes. However, her style of writing is great when she uses her own words.
4. When I was in elementary school I thought it was the dumbest thing in the world to care about your weight when my mom would complain about it. However,when i went into adolescence and boys would make fun of girls around school i became very self conscious and wore a big baggy hoodie to school every day so no one could see what I looked like; I had no reason to be like this, No one made fun of me or anything. Now, I don't particularly care what others think of my weight because I am more confident than I was in middle school.

[Natalie Ardizzone]

The Kurbo app is made for children to keep track of what they are eating and lists which foods are “good” and which foods are “bad”. Harrison’s objections to this is that programs like Weight Watchers are likely ineffective to children who have not had the opportunity to develop a steady relationship with food and their bodies. Apps like this is encouraging anti-fat prejudice to children and can cause a harmful effect like distorted eating, which is usually triggered from things children have learned about food and eating during childhood. Ultimately, causing not only bad physical effects, but a lot of negative mental effects as well. However, I do not think any modifications the developers could make to the app could possibly gain Harrison’s approval. For instance, she believes the healthiest way children and people can be is to stop dieting of all kinds because it is likely to worsen one’s overall well-being. And people should rather teach themselves to trust their own wisdom about food to help have peace with their bodies, regardless of the size.

[Gia Lebrun]

1) In the article, Harrison's makes claims that the diet app Kurbo, will cause kids to have extreme health problems in their future. She strongly believes that kids will obsess over their diet at a young age and train themselves to take the harmful diet pills and laxatives and lose an excessive amount of weight.
2) Harrison barely uses the word "fat" in her article. She uses the word to help her readers comprehend the negative notation the word has in today's society.
3) Although Harrison uses hyperlinks in her article, I believe it would have been even more affective if she had direct evidence to prove her claim. If Harrison did this, this would reduce the confusion and reading time of the article.
4) My personal experiences of body shaming happened really early in my life. I was very active as a kid. I danced three days a week and also played basketball 3 days week. I was very slim and got made fun of for being too skinny. I didn't have a strict diet, I ate whatever I pleased and couldn't gain a pound. My parents would often feed me 2 plates each meal to try to make me gain weight. I didn't let anyone's comments interfere with my confidence because I loved my body. As I got older, I wasn't on the slim side, but I was still considered as skinny and would often get asked by my family members if I have an eating disorder. Hearing this everyday did have an impact with my confidence. But now I don't listen to anyone's comments about my body but my own. Harrison's article has helped me gain more confidence about my body and to practice body positivity more often.

[michelle hashimi]

In the article, “I Help People Recover from Disordered Eating. Don’t Give Your Child This App,” the author Christy Harrison, is claiming that these diet apps that are being put out there are harming people of all ages instead of benefiting. Kurbo is a dieting app that is used by many, and there are many more apps that people use to lose weight and get their desired body. I just think that its so sad that for many years now there are millions of people who worry so much about their weight. These ages vary from kids who are 6 years old to adults who can be 50. Having a skinny, chubby, average body should be normalized. Not everyone is going to have the same body just the way everyone has a different face. It has become so scary in the social media world because of the bodies being shown, that even a 13-year-old will compare their body to a 25-year-old. A kid should not have to worry about looking “overweight” or having the “perfect body” because the truth is that a perfect body does not exist. Everyone is perfect in their own way. Harrison is really trying to open parents’ eyes so that they realize that their kids are harming their bodies by either starving themselves or not eating the right foods. Following diet apps that will only get them their “perfect body” for a little amount of time, not forever. We need to normalize the fact that it is okay to have a belly, flabby arms, rolls, chubby cheeks. You need to enjoy your body, take care of it in its own way, not everybody has the same body with the same needs. You can take care of yourself the right way by having limits of how much you eat of something. No one should ever feel unhappy in their body because it is gods gift, it is what makes you, YOU.

[Pape]

According to the article by Charisty Harrison, Weight watchers become kurbo.An application for children from 8 to 17 years old allowing to lose weight.Harrison not supporting this thesis, assures us that these diets are harmful to mental health and physical with a study which shows that a weight loss is recovered in the long term.Weight watchers affirms that the results depend on the age, weight of the height and that the results are not Typical Harrison tells us that putting a child on a diet can cause cycling; and this has serious consequences, especially for children who may interpret information strictly. It makes us understand that parents must help their children to accept themselves as their body is. Obesity is the leading cause of health problems. the child not being able to make these own choices these parents to take care of their diet no one should feel bad in his body. Especially a child and trying to make them lose weight is even more risky, it can lead to more serious problems that are difficult to manage in the long run.

[Manny Blain]

I agree with Charisty Harrison that it's harmful to put children on weight loss diets. Although let's not pretend as if obesity is not a problem in America. Children are being taught that exercise is not essential, and that's what needs to be addressed. More and more children are substituting playing outside with friends to staying inside the house to play Fortnite all day. This is the problem. Parents need to reinstall the instill the importance of exercise to their children. A child will not need to be put on a weight loss diet if parents do their part and teach the child how to learn portion control.