Google Maps Pulls Calorie-Counting Feature after Criticism

Stephanie Zerwas, the clinical director of the Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders at the University of North Carolina, was trying to find a restaurant in Orlando, last weekend, so she put the address into Google Maps for directions.

She was baffled to see a new feature: The iPhone app told her that walking instead of driving would burn 70 calories. While it was perhaps meant as an incentive to walk, those with eating disorders might instead fixate on the number, a dangerous mind-set that counselors try to minimize, she said.

"We've gotten into this habit of thinking about our bodies and the foods we take in and how much activity we do as this mathematical equation, and it's really not," she said. "The more we have technology that promotes that view, the more people who may develop eating disorders might be triggered into that pathway."

On Monday night, Google pulled the feature, which it said was an experiment on its iOS app. The decision followed a wave of attention on social media; while some of the responses saw Google's feature as promoting exercise, there were several complaints that it was dangerous and insulting.

Calorie counting has long been a contentious topic at the nexus of nutrition, exercise and eating disorders. Claire Mysko, the chief executive of the National Eating Disorders Association, said in an interview that calorie counts "can become a point of obsession" to those with eating disorders.

If Google wanted to promote walking, it could have framed it "in terms of strength and how it makes you feel," Ms. Mysko said.

"Let's encourage it because it's fun, it feels good, it helps you think and you can enjoy the gorgeous weather," she said.

生詞好句

pull /p?l/: vt. 撤出

calorie-counting: adj. 計算卡路里的

feature /?fi?t??/: n. 特性蒂胞；功能

eating disorder: 飲食紊亂癥

baffle /?baf(?)l/: vt. 使迷惑；使困惑

incentive /?n?s?nt?v/: n. 刺激

fixate /f?k?se?t/: vi. 執(zhí)迷于......

counselor /?ka?ns(?)l?/: n. 咨詢師

equation /??kwe??(?)n/: n. 方程式

trigger /?tr?ɡ?/: vt. 觸發(fā)

obsession /?b?s??(?)n/: n. 迷戀

frame /fre?m/: vt. 描述

gorgeous /?ɡ??d??s/: adj. 令人愉快的

拓展詞匯

bulimia /bj??l?m??/ /b??l?m??/: n. 貪食癥；厭食癥

anorexia /?an??r?ks??/: n. 神經(jīng)性厭食癥

binge /b?n(d)?/ eating: n. 暴飲暴食癥

"Counting calories can be a useful tool

if you want to maintain a healthy

weight, but it's very important to

understand that it's just

a measuring tool."

Suneetha, a nutritionist