Food tracking can be useful, but it can also become stressful or unsafe. Here’s how we’re building Food Journal with those risks in mind.
Hey! I'm Khawar and I head things up at SOMOS 👋🏽
I want to be honest about something.
Food tracking is not neutral for everyone.
For some people, it can support awareness and help them build better habits. For others, especially people with a history of disordered eating or eating disorders, tracking can become stressful, rigid or unsafe.
That matters.
As someone building a food journal app, I don’t want to pretend those risks don’t exist.
Food Journal by SOMOS is designed to be calmer than traditional tracking apps, but that doesn’t mean it is right for everyone. The aim is not to remove all risk with nicer language. The aim is to design more carefully, be clear about limits, and avoid features that push people toward pressure, shame or obsession.
In this post, I’ll share:
- why food tracking needs to be handled carefully
- what can make tracking feel unsafe or obsessive
- the design choices we’re making in Food Journal
- who may need support beyond an app
Food tracking can help — but it can also cause harm
[=]
What makes tracking feel pressurised or unsafe
[=]
How we’re designing Food Journal more carefully
[=]
When food tracking may not be the right tool
[=]
Let’s connect… 🤝
- Subscribe to my newsletter, Build With... 🌱 to keep an eye on what we’re building.
- Reach out on LinkedIn! I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for stopping by!
Khawar | Founder & CEO @ SOMOS 👋🏽
p.s. check out our Impact Fund and some awesome Projects We Love.
