A registered dietitian has slammed the widespread misconception that women should eat just 1,200 calories a day—a figure often promoted across social-media platforms as the ideal intake for weight loss.
Abbey Sharp (@abbeyskitchen), who is known for challenging diet culture online, told Newsweek that this so-called “magic number” barely supports basic bodily functions, let alone active lifestyles. Her recent Instagram video, posted in response to an influencer who fainted at the gym after sticking to a 1,200-calorie diet, garnered over 3,400 likes and more than 170,000 views.
“I see way too many women struggling with unrealistic food rules based on content they see online, and the 1,200-calorie rule is one of the most-persistent suggestions I see,” Sharp said. “It keeps popping up in ‘what I eat in a day’ videos, influencer meal plans, and apps that promote one-size-fits-all dieting. And it’s deeply harmful.”
Sharp said that 1,200 calories has become “weirdly idolized” because it is simple and easy to remember. However, she added that the figure originally came from guidelines for toddlers—not for adult women who have jobs, families, exercise routines, and fully developed bodies. “It’s truly insane,” she added.
Sharp warned that, for most adult women, 1,200 calories a day is already less than what the body requires just to function at rest—let alone for physical activity.
She added that chronically under-eating at this level can lead to a range of health problems, including menstrual disruptions, slower metabolism, binge eating, muscle and bone loss, hair loss, fatigue, constipation, and mood swings.
Sharp said: “It’s not the flex that social media makes it out to be. It’s a fast-track ticket to burnout and disordered eating.”
While Sharp acknowledged the positive side of increased access to food and nutrition content, she added that much of the information online comes from unqualified individuals.
“What worries me is how this content fuels unhealthy comparison, food fears, and body shaming, especially in young, vulnerable people,” Sharp said. “It can turn food into a math problem or a moral issue, instead of a source of nourishment, culture, and pleasure.”
Sharp added that there is no one-size-fits-all calorie target. For most healthy adult women, a daily intake of 1,800 to 2,200 calories is considered a baseline, with needs increasing for those who are very active, breastfeeding, or recovering from restrictive diets.
Factors such as stress, sleep, physical activity, and hormonal cycles all influence caloric requirements. Rather than following rigid advice from influencers, Sharp said she recommends working with a qualified dietitian to develop a personalized plan.
She also highlighted the risks of long-term calorie tracking, noting that, while it can be a short-term learning tool, it often leads to obsessive behavior and disordered eating patterns.
“Understanding that fried chicken has significantly more calories than baked makes sense, but counting or weighing out every splash of almond milk in your coffee does not,” Sharp said. “I’m a big believer in gentle nutrition, which means learning to trust and respect your body, not micromanage it.
“Food is not just fuel,” she added. “It’s comfort, culture, connection, and celebration. You deserve to eat enough to feel energized, focused, and present in your life—and 1,200 calories more than likely isn’t up for the job.”
Sharp’s message resonated with many on Instagram.
“I wish 20 years ago me had you,” one user commented.
Another wrote: “I’m 170 cm high and 56 kg weight. I usually exercise 5 hours a week (slow movements, weights and bicycle). I eat 2,200-2,800 cal daily. Womans need fuel to thrive.”
“Abby, thank you for educating young impressionable women on the internet,” said another follower. “I developed an ED [eating disorder] after convincing myself that less calories was always ‘the goal’. This made me sick, and gravely impacted my mental health, to this day, can’t say I am fully recovered. So thank you for trying to prevent this.”
Flavia echoed a sentiment felt by many: “I feel like the 1200 CALORIES A DAY TO LOSE WEIGHT was drilled into us in the 2000s? Like even after seeing these kinds of videos, I still can’t seem to wrap my head around how it’s supposedly so little after I grew up being told more or less it was the ideal.”
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