Dietitians are calling out WW’s Kurbo app for promoting unhealthy eating habits in kids, but is it as problematic as they think?
There's a difference between dieting and being healthy, and often times, overattention to what you consume can lead to disordered eating. Eating disorders are dangerous and can affect anyone, but they're especially concerning in adolescents. Which is why WW (formerly Weight Watchers) is facing intense criticism for its new app, Kurbo, targeted toward kids ages eight to 17.
The app uses a traffic light system to tell kids which foods are a "green light" and can be eaten as much as they want, which foods are a "yellow light" and should be consumed with caution, and which "red light" foods they should probably avoid.
It seems like a simple system to teach kids what's good for them and what's not, but it regulates kids' diets in an unhealthy way. Gaining weight is a normal, healthy part of child development. Putting on a few pounds means your body is doing what it's supposed to do. While the app classifies foods with too much fat or calories as "red," children need to consume some of these foods to develop their brain.
WW is calling the app "common sense." As Gary Foster, the chief science officer of WW, puts it, items in the red foods category "aren't foods that should be encouraged in kids' diets, but they also shouldn't be vilified or demonized, and there has to be a system that's simple and science-based that highlights that so everyone in the family can understand."
RELATED: Why you should stop complimenting people for being 'tiny'
But nutritionists are concerned Kurbo will promote an unhealthy relationship with food. "This doesn't teach 'healthy eating.' It teaches restricted eating. It teaches kids that some foods are good, but most are bad, as kids are very literal in their thinking. It sets kids up for a battle between their brain and growing bodies. It perpetuates disordered eating, thinking and behavior that may have lifelong implications in vulnerable populations," Megan McNamee of Feeding Littles wrote on Facebook. McNamee grew up in a Weight Watchers house and feels it gave her an unhealthy relationship with food.
The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) also expressed concerns over Kurbo: "While we acknowledge the good intentions of researchers working to develop programs to keep children healthy, we must point out the serious risks associated with an app that requires kids to track everything they eat and self-report their weight and behaviors. We encourage parents who may be considering this app for their children – and adolescents thinking of using it themselves – to seriously consider the potential risks," the organization said in a statement.
The app also encourages family participation, however it can put children in a position where they're dieting to please their parents. On top of that, studies have shown parents of overweight children already know which foods are good or bad for their kids.
While the Kurbo app in its current state is problematic, some experts argue that it's a step in the right direction toward helping curb childhood obesity. According to Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, who specializes in obesity medicine, "Fourteen million children in the United States actually have the disease of obesity, and this tool might be one that we should consider with some modifications for this patient population."
RELATED: Forever 21 facing backlash from plus-size customers who received diet bars with their online orders
However, she argues that if children are indeed using the app as a means to maintain or achieve a healthy weight, parents and possibly even medical professionals need to be involved.
"I do think using a medical professional would be helpful, but I really think that the parents really have some shared ownership here, right? So they're going to be the ones that really need to be on the ground monitoring what's going on with their children and this application if they're - if this is indeed a strategy that they take," she told NPR.
"We need to be thoughtful when you're considering using an application of this sort - and the likelihood that persons that might not struggle with obesity might utilize this to further curb their intake. And that would lead to issues like anorexia nervosa," she added.
- WW Kurbo Weight Loss App For Kids Gains Backlash | InStyle.com ›
- WW Weight Watchers Kurbo Kids Program Controversy ›
- A New Weight Watchers App for Kids Raises Concerns ›
- Kurbo by WW takes on contentious childhood obesity challenge by ... ›
- Weight Watchers' Kurbo sells diets to children as young as age eight ›
- Kurbo by WW Is a Weight Watchers Diet App for Kids - Eater ›
- WW launches Kurbo, a hotly debated 'healthy eating' app aimed at ... ›
- NEDA Statement on Kurbo by WW App | National Eating Disorders ... ›
- Kurbo by WW Is a Weight-Loss App for Kids As Young As 8 | Time ›
- Kurbo: Health Coaching for Kids, Teens, Families ›
Overwhelmed with emotion.
Stressed at the desk, seeking a moment of calm.
Storytime circle with kids and teachers in the classroom.
Anchors aweigh! 
Case in point, not case and point. 
I've been through the desert on a horse with free rein.
Buzz Off Get Away GIF 
"Toe the line" literally means put your toe on the line.
Lena Dunham as Hannah GIF by Girls 
A scene from the film Reality Bites. 
Carol Anne gets in touch with ghosts in the movie Poltergeist. 
Kurt Cobain, the patron saint of Gen X. 
Communications expert shares the 7-word phrase to shoot down anyone being disrespectful
Try this method next time someone says something rude.
A woman can't believe what she just heard.
Getting caught off guard by a rude comment from a coworker, family member, or total stranger can throw you for a loop. You immediately start wondering how you should respond. Should I insult the person right back or play it cool without stooping to their level? Everyone is going to be thrown by a disrespectful comment at some point, so it’s good to have a response in your back pocket for that moment when it comes.
Communications expert Jefferson Fisher provided a great response that we can all use recently on the Mel Robbins Podcast. Fisher is a Texas board-certified personal injury attorney and one of the most respected voices on argumentation and communication in the world. He is also the bestselling author of The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More.
How to respond to a rude or disrespectful comment
Fisher told Robbins that the first step in responding to the comment is nonverbal. You say nothing. “A lot of silence. So often, if you just wait 10 seconds that you're gonna add distance between what they said and how you're going to respond,” Fisher said. “They're saying this to get something out of you, cause in that moment, they're feeling something, whether it's a fear or an insecurity, whatever it is, you're not going to deliver on that same plane that they are.”
The next step is to let the rude person know that their behavior will not be tolerated in a confident manner.
“So somebody says something disrespectful, you give enough silence to make sure that it's a little awkward, and then you're going to say something to the effect of, ‘That's below my standard for a response.’ All of a sudden, you're now making it clear that what you just said was beneath me. And I don't respond to things that are beneath me in that way.”
Throw it back on them
If you prefer to put someone back on their heels instead of squelching the situation as Fisher recommends, John Bowe, a speech trainer, award-winning journalist, and author of I Have Something to Say: Mastering the Art of Public Speaking in the Age of DisconnectionI Have Something to Say: Mastering the Art of Public Speaking in the Age of Disconnection, says that you should respond with a question: “Do you really mean that?”
“Say it with outrage or dripping sarcasm, with raised eyebrows or deadpan calm. It doesn’t matter. This phrase is quietly disarming and deceptively powerful,” Bowe writes for CNBC. Bowe says the response does two great things for you. First, it gives them a chance to reconsider their words because most rude comments are said without thinking. “By responding with curiosity instead of defensiveness, you’re holding up a mirror. Often, that’s all it takes for the other person to walk back their offense,” he writes.
After the person is asked if they meant what they said, they can double down on their rude comment, but they are probably more likely to backpedal or apologize.
Unfortunately, it’s a fact of life that, unless you live under a rock, you’ll have to deal with people making rude comments. But the best thing you can do is to prepare yourself to confidently put someone in their place so they’ll think twice about ever being rude to you again.