ZIOH: CYBER-BULLYING & THREATS ARE ALIVE AND WELL ON THE ZERO-CARB FORUM...[UPDATED JANUARY 25, 2010]

Charles Washington, Founder of Zeroing in on Health (ZIOH) and the Zero-Carb forums

Since my original post on January 8, 2010 (see below), I've spent some time in the forums at ZIOH to see just how many members actively post there.

Charles Washington has made it very clear that if you don't post "regularly" in your journal, your membership at ZIOH will be terminated. And what does "regularly" mean to Charles? Well, it appears it means "at least once every two weeks."

Charles has also proclaimed that members are NOT allowed to lurk. If you lurk without posting at least once every 2 weeks, you're gone.

So today, I see in Charles's own journal this comment made by him:

"RE: Charles's Running Journal

My journal is hard to find because I rarely get time to write in it and I'm not nearly as popular as you are. I'm hated, but you're loved so they all flock to read yours -- even me. Plus, I don't run so much these days. I took off the last 8 days after the half-marathon to rest. So now, fully recovered, I went out running 5 miles today with my 14-year old. I left him behind with a mile to go. He only ran about 3 miles. That boy does Tae Kwon Do every single day but can't keep up with a 42 year-old man. Pathetic.

---

Regards,

Charles"

Screenshot:

(Left click to enlarge)

So I guess what's good for the goose is not good for the gander(s).

Below are recent comments made by Charles in the journals of some of his members, plus some parting shots from some members as they flee ZIOH:

"RE: LauraUK's Journal

(01-16-2010 05:03 PM)LauraUK Wrote: Oh and another thing. Charles; I haven't noticed you being so rude to anyone else who hasn't written in their journal for a few weeks!!!!

[Charles]:

"Not only do you not post much, but it's also clear you don't read journals very much because I am "rude" in all journals where people don't post. I've never met you so I can't just assume that you're ZC when you are gone for a long period of time.

In fact, I don't always say anything to inactive members. Most of the time, I just delete the person and that's the end of it. So, give that some thought before you decide to lash out like that next time.

I don't know how you can say that "another lurker I'm afraid" is rude? What planet are you from? I've earned the right to question anyone about anything on this forum, wouldn't you say?

If you have no ZC experience to share, then be a guest. We have many guests that do ZC and are quite successful despite not posting and participating. It's not the end of the world.

---

Regards,

Charles"

http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=2699&page=37

**********

"RE: My Journey To Here

[Charles]:

"I was just curious. So sorry that such a simple question had you so stressed that you are no longer happy on our forum. I hope the enablers at your new and happier place will bring you the peace you seek."

http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=577&page=73

(Wow, not TOO sarcastic)

**********

"RE: Allan's Journal

Allan Wrote:Thank you for accepting me to your forum, and I appreciate your efforts. I have learned quite a bit here, and I plan to continue my six month ZC experiment.

However, I'm a bit alarmed by some of the ongoings of the forum over the past couple days. As such, I am no longer comfortable being a member and maintaining a journal. Please deactivate/unregister me.

Best of luck to you.'

---

Regards,

Charles"

(No comment from Charles. How strange.)

http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=2916&page=5

**********

"01-10-2010, 05:10 PM

"RE: Leesa's Journal

I can't believe the shit I've been reading on this forum lately. I'm outta here."

(And again, no comment from Charles)

http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=2803&page=6

**********
"RE: Tiger’s Experimentation

[Charles]:

This member has claimed that we are "cyber bullies" and therefore decided not to return. We wish you well."

http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=711&page=134

**********

MartinT Unregistered

"RE: MartinT's Journal

[Martin]:

ok Caroline

EDITED BY CHARLES

I'm out of here"

[Charles]:

"RE: MartinT's Journal

Sorry Rose, but he has decided to leave our poisoned forum.

---

Regards,

Charles"

NOTE: MartinT was a long-time member of ZIOH

http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=2851&page=26

**********

RE: Carressa's Journal

"Appears we have ourselves yet another lurker. I guess she never got over that fatty liver scare.

---

Regards,

Charles"

http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=2470&page=10

**********

01-08-2010, 04:18 PM

ZC4Ever Unregistered

"RE: From This Moment Forth........ I am so confused. I thought I was in someone else's journal. Where was I? Oh yes, I was saying that life is ho hum here. Holidays were good, family flew out and spent weeks with us from CA. It's been cold here and we're complaining just like the natives here. I just learned that I'm expecting our 2nd child in October. I have no plans to differentiate with the way I'm eating. My dh has crossed the barrier in that he's eating steak with me now. It's been a slow transition, but he sees how easy my life is, how calm I've gotten in spite of the pregnancy. He has seen a full transformation in me that he's quite excited about. That's about it. Nothing exciting going on in my life, just living, loving, sharing, preparing. I noticed that the membership is real low. Was there some kind of purging?"

Charles's response:

"RE: From This Moment Forth........

Confused is a good word. I'm confused too about how smooth this pregnancy is going when by your calculations, you were just impregnated yesterday. I'm sure that takes careful adherence to ZC in order to pull that off. I'm not amused.

---

Regards,

Charles"

(Member was "de-registered")

http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=1991&page=44

**********

"RE: Trish's 2009 Journal into ZC WOE

[Charles]:

"Trish, I'm amazed you're still a member. Since you're online today, we need an update on your ZC-ness. If not, you may become officially, what you have become, so to speak."

http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=976&page=22

(Member was de-registered)

**********
RE: When The Going Gets Tough...

[Charles]:

"He has announced that his "time here is done." That being the case, his journal is now closed until further notice. I will open it upon his request.

---

Regards,

Charles"

http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=2046&page=112

**********
"RE: Dona's Journal

Dona Wrote:Go ahead and unsub me Charles. Having to defend my every thought, being assumed argumentative when i said nothing of the sort, is not healthy on either side of a relationship. Ive never met a more unfriendly group.

Dona"

[Charles]:

"As I said to her, please spend more time on mastering ZC and less time on proselytizing on what types of meat are healthy or not. Why is it that people who don't eat ZC always want to tell those of us who do what meat is best for us? I never understood that. Anyway, she has been "unsubbed" as she put it.

---

Regards,

Charles"

http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=2943&page=6

**********

"RE: Joseph's (aka Antenor60) Journal

Joseph, I need you to update this journal. I'm afraid that you've become a lurker and that's equivalent to a "guest".

---

Regards,

Charles"

http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=2670&page=4

**********
"RE: Will's Journal

[Charles]:

"From your description, you are not ZC and therefore not eligible for membership. Had you mentioned all of this in your questionnaire, you would have been denied membership. You will remain a guest until your "vices" have been conquered.

Regards,

Charles"

http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=2866

**********
"RE: Lillyforce's Journal

Another professional lurker, it seems. You should contact me when you're prepared for membership again.

Regards,

Charles"

http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=2570

**********
"RE: Meat You There

"Sherri has been under the radar and she somehow escaped the prune. She has about 24 hours to answer Laura's question....

---

Regards,

Charles"

http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=713&page=5

**********
"RE: Cara's Journal (formerly dreamagreatdream)

Cara has decided not to remain with us. Evidently this is too much for her. I wish her well.

---

Regards,

Charles"

http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=2506&page=22

**********

"RE: free at last

Sandy, you haven't updated this journal since July of 2009. I need you to update this journal or your membership may be in jeopardy in accordance with our new membership guidelines. You have become a professional lurker and that is not allowed any longer.

---

Regards,

Charles"

http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=2126&page=4

**********
RE: Pear Blossoms

"When she first logged in and said how she was going to start ZC down the road, that was a red flag for me and nowadays it will cause a membership application to this forum to be denied. She came in all close to Laurie and the others, that I thought maybe there was a chance. I won't make that mistake again.

Don't want people to pile on, so this thread is closed. Pear, if you ever get to ZC, send me a PM and you can resume them.

---

Regards,

Charles"

http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=2580&page=19

**********
"RE: Beth Sch's Journal

Beth, we need an update in this journal on your ZC. You have become a professional lurker and that is not acceptable on our forum anymore.

---

Regards,

Charles"

http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=2517&page=5

And these are just a few of Charles's admonitions to, and de-registrations of, members of his site.

Odd that Charles doesn't have time to post in his own journal yet revokes memberships of those who fail to post for several weeks.


There has been an exodus of members from ZC recently, which makes me wonder just how many members truly remain, especially when the journals of de-registered members still remain on the site.

This was posted on January 20, 2010 by Charles:

"ZIOH has never been concerned with numbers. We had over 1600 members and I pruned the majority of them. Any time you see the reference "the mixed multitude" in the Bible, they are always up to no good and I sense the same is true here. I have seen the recent posts and justifications from these former members and I am not moved or impressed. Katelyn is busy justifying the difficult decision I chose to make -- which by the way, I would make once again under the same circumstances. She was not ZC and she was removed.

Those of you who have been shown not to be ZC will not return as it says in our membership guidelines. When I said a pure ZC forum, that's exactly what I meant."

(http://forum.zeroinginonhealth.com/showthread.php?tid=1364&page=33)

Even after ex-members have asked Charles to delete their journals, those journals still remain at ZIOH.

Have ex-members' names been removed from the membership list? Are the membership numbers at ZIOH artificially inflated? I'd wager they are.

The site currently shows 270 members. Quite a drop from the 1600 hundred members Charles alleges he had prior to his membership cull.

********************

Original post (January 8, 2010):

I don't know where to start with this post. There are so many issues I want to address: my feelings about Charles and his site, Zeroing in on Health and his Zero-Carb Forum; the bullying that goes on in the forums; members consuming nothing but raw beef...the list goes on and on and on.

I feel I'm on the verge of a full-blown rant but will pull back and let you all decide for yourselves what the hell is going on at that site and in the forums.

I have been reading the forums, off and on, since their inception but got to the point where I could no longer stomach all the crazy talk and Charles's heavy-handed criticisms and banning of members who did not follow his zero-carb plan to the tee. Reading about members eating bowls of raw meat for breakfast made me want to hurl.

A good friend of mine alerted me yesterday to what could only be called a despicable case of cyber-bullying on one of the forums. Please check out Kimorexia's post here: OMG, RUN Katelyn, RUN!!!!

Katelyn's avatar from the forum

Kari, a new member of the forums, decided to inform, Katelyn, a long-time member that she was anorexic and unless Katelyn admitted that she, Katelyn, was anorexic and followed a 60-day challenge put forward by Kari that Katelyn could be involuntarily committed to a mental institution. What is even more shocking is that Charles Washington supported this craziness.

Kari, the new member

If you read the thread in its entirety, many of the members speak ABOUT Katelyn, not TO Katelyn, who is also posting on the thread. It's bizarre.

Please read the entire thread (which has been preserved for posterity, by the way, in case it goes poof). It starts here:

My EDs

Here are some screenshots of some of Katelyn's posts, Kari's posts, and then the vitriolic bullying and threats:

Kari posts the first part of her "story" of anorexia, cutting, suicide attempts, committal to a mental institution, etc. and Katelyn responds:

(Click to enlarge)

Katelyn makes another comment and Kari responds:

(Click to enlarge)

Katelyn's response:

(Click to enlarge)

Other forum members jump in. Charles, who has apparently, very recently, become an expert in EDs, jumps in. And then all hell breaks loose. Katelyn garners no sympathy whatsoever, just vitriol.

Kari then posts this:

(Click to enlarge)

And then Kari posts her challenge and threat re committal to Katelyn...

(Click to enlarge)

Now, doesn't that just make you feel all warm and fuzzy? "We KNOW where you live. "We KNOW where you work."

Imagine threatening Katelyn with committal when Kari herself alleges she was involuntarily committed to a mental institution and suffered terribly.

There were some forum members who posted in the thread that they were uncomfortable with how Katelyn was being treated...like Tigerlily (see quote at top of screenshot below)...but then Charles rakes Tigerlily over the coals in a way that only a megalomaniac could do:

(Click to enlarge)

Isn't that special?

Here we have Kari who, in my opinion, is still struggling with a serious eating disorder, a woman who has suffered heart attacks, bouts of cutting, suicide, depression (all graphically described in her posts on the thread) who is now raging at a young girl (Katelyn) because Katelyn will not admit she has an eating disorder. Makes perfect sense to me...NOT. Sounds like there's a major case of psychological "projection" happening here with Kari. Google that.

Katelyn, if you read this, please contact me @ gorgon@2medusa.com. I'll put you on to some people who will truly help you when and if you want it...not people who will condemn you, insult you, threaten you, and ostracize you.

Please also take a moment to read Mariasol's excellent post here:

ZERO CARB ATTRACTS ANOREXICS

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