Why would it?
Most people eat too much or way too much. Eating disorders resulting in eating too little are rare in comparison and they stem from well known mental issues. Like, I don't even know how you could come up with a hypothesis that counting calories
increases risk of eating disorder.
The argument that most anorectic people count calories so there is correlation doesn't even work because most obese people don't so if anything "not counting calories increases risk of eating disorder" is a lot plausible observational hypothesis as there is way more obese people then anorectic people among those who don't count calories and way more obese people who don't count than anorectic people who do (both % wise and in absolute numbers).
> Like, I don't even know how you could come up with a hypothesis that counting calories increases risk of eating disorder.
You've said that the weight loss is caused by the mental illness. You're ignoring all the research showing that weight loss that precedes mental illness can then cause that mental illness.
The causation is complex, certainly more complex than your post suggests, and is self-reinforcing.
This is why re-feeding is a core part of treatment for people with anorexia.
I am not ignoring it. I just don't see how counting calories can cause any of that. If you want to lose weight in obsessive way you will do so with or without counting. Knowing how much you actually it is just a useful piece of information.
The argument that most anorectic people count calories so there is correlation doesn't even work because most obese people don't so if anything "not counting calories increases risk of eating disorder" is a lot plausible observational hypothesis as there is way more obese people then anorectic people among those who don't count calories and way more obese people who don't count than anorectic people who do (both % wise and in absolute numbers).