Eating disorder charities have warned against a "harmful" diet app being featured on the Apple App Store and promoted to people over 12 years old.
The objective of the app in question, called Carrot Fit, is "to transform your flabby carcass into a Grade A specimen of the human race" but critics said it is harmful and uses encouragement in the form of light-hearted abuse.
Harmful methods
While the app claims to have helped thousands of users meet their health goals, some opponents argue that it was irresponsible and could trigger eating disorders. Eating disorder charities have raised the issue to Apple and the tech giant has since raised the age recommendation on the app's page to over-17s.
Gemma Oaten, manager of eating disorder charity Seed who is calling for the app to be banned, said: "The way they are addressing weight is inappropriate and scary. It's not a healthy body image and it's irresponsible."
"These apps, and the platforms they are put on, have a duty of care - especially during a pandemic when eating disorders have skyrocketed. We are fighting to save lives. This just undermines it all," Oaten added.
The app, which is not available on Android phones, was featured by Apple as part of a short list of recommended fitness apps that appear on the App Store, which read :"Tap for a much-needed motivation boost."
Critics identified phrases such as  "meatbag", "lay off the ice-cream or else" and being granted "permission to watch your friend eat a bag of potato chips" as terms that could potentially be harmful to people with eating disorders.
Dr. Khanya Price-Evans, a psychologist and eating disorder specialist, explained: "The content and language could be very triggering for an individual with an eating disorder and in my professional opinion should be restricted or banned."
"It is criminal that this industry is preying on the vulnerability of young people and creating a body dissatisfaction with an archaic oppressive approach," Dr. Price-Evans added.
On the other hand, positive reviews describe the app as "entertaining" and "makes working out less daunting".
The app's developer Brain Mueller explained: "The funny comments from Carrot turn exercising and fitness into a positive experience for users, rather than a negative one. The safety and wellbeing of Carrot Fit's users is my primary concern and I have included a number of safety warnings inside the app."
Negative psychological impact
Dr. Dawn Branley-Bell, health and cyber-psychologist at Northumbria University, pointed out: "The app does state that if users lose weight too fast, the carrot character will get angry - suggesting that the developers have, to at least some degree, considered some of the risks."
"But this may not be sufficient to limit the negative psychological impact, particularly in relation to the language used in the app," Dr. Branley-Bell argued.
Additionally, since the app was labeled suitable for ages 12 and above on the App Store, it poses the danger of promoting weight loss to children.
Mueller claimed that this was a "mistake" and mentioned that the app's terms and conditions explicitly stated that Carrot Fit was not intended for use by anyone under the age of 18.
Hope Virgo, a mental health campaigner who developed anorexia when she was 13, said: "Because it's still being advertised to 12-year-olds, children will download it without any scrutiny. They haven't finished developing, and demonizing 'fatness' at this point is appalling to see."
