This app encourages disordered eating. My mother encouraged me to download this app in high school and it started an extremely unhealthy habit of obsessively counting calories. I eventually got to college and took a class that discussed diet culture, and we specifically looked at the 3 day diet, and that was where I learned just how awful it is for you to consume only 500 calories a day. Ever wonder why you want to eat everything in sight after a few days with low caloric intake? It’s because your body is in starvation mode. Your brain takes the lack of calories to mean that there is no/not enough food available in your environment, and basically tells your body to eat as much as possible when food IS available, as preparation for another food shortage. This is why “yo-yoing” (loss of weight immediately followed by gaining even more weight than you lost) occurs. This diet is not only inefficient, but it also encourages unhealthy eating habits/disordered eating and is potentially dangerous. You are not meant to consume only 500 calories a day. Do not follow any diet that requires you to. If you want to lose weight in a healthy way, drink water, eat the daily recommended serving of fruits, vegetables, protein, and carbs, and exercise regularly. Consult a dietician if you need to and can afford it. This app should not exist and should CERTAINLY not be recommended for ages 4 and up.
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Response from developer
Thank you for your feedback. We understand that this diet is not a long term plan. That is why it's called "3 day diet" and we don't ever encourage people to continue on with the plan on a daily basis. Instead we advertise the plan as a quick fix plan to follow before a special event or something like that, and not to continue the format after the 3 days. We are clear on that point and understand it's not something to do daily at all for the reasons you mention above. It's not a healthy choice as a long term diet. It doesn't teach healthy habits and I wouldn't recommend it long term. But it's ok for someone just looking to either quickstart their diet, or lose a few pounds quickly for a special event to fit into pants or a dress or something like this. But if you're looking for long term results, you would be better off trying a more long term healthy diet that will teach you healthy habits and get you on track to how you would eat once you reach your goal weight. That's the problem with this diet is once you reach your goal weight you haven't learned how to maintain it for life. If you need suggestions on a more healthy long term diet, let me know. And if you have more questions let me know. Kelly@Healthyhappysmart.com
