TeenHealthFX - Answers - Talking About An Eating Disorder

Eating Disorders / Question
Published: September 30, 2002

Dear TeenHealthFX,

I think that I might have, or am to close having an eating disorder. I currently weigh 108 lbs and I?m 5'2". At the beginning of March, I weighed 110lbs, and I went on a diet for 2 months having only 1000 calories per day. I noticed that my breasts shrunk and got really scared, so I stopped. I'm always on a diet, counting calories, and feel guilty when I eat over 1500 calories or sweets. I think about what I should eat for the next meal or the next day so that I don't go over 1500 calories. I'm really scared of gaining, I got so scared one time that I started crying, and I know that it's not normal. Sometimes I get depressed or stress that I just keep eating until I'm really full, because I like that feeling. For the past couple of months, there was not one day when I did not think about food. I'm really scared and I've thought about getting help, but I don't know whom I should tell. If I go to my school crisis counselors, they might tell my parents because I'm endangering myself. And if my parents know, I think they will be mad and yell at me. What should I do?

Signed: Talking About An Eating Disorder

Dear Talking About An Eating Disorder,

TeenHealthFX is very happy that you wrote. Recognizing that you are having issues dealing with food is a very important starting point for getting help and recovering from an eating disorder. Right now, your body mass index (link to sports/sports-18) is getting low, which means that you are becoming too thin. This, combined with the fact that you are constantly thinking about food and counting calories, is a warning sign that you might be on the verge of developing a full-blown eating disorder. This includes other symptoms like:

A dramatic weight loss or refusal to maintain normal body weight.
A person who says he or she is fat, but are visibly underweight.
Repeatedly gaining and losing weight.
Intense fear of gaining weight.
In women, missed periods or Amenorrhea (Not getting her period at all)
Eating very small portions.
Starvation to lose weight.
The person making himself/herself vomit.
The possible presence of bruises on the knuckles or hands from induced vomiting.
Bingeing (eating a great amount of food).
Bingeing and purging (Eating a lot, then throwing up.)
Eating in private (closet eating).
Use of medications such as diet pills, enemas, laxatives, diuretics or other medications to lose weight.
Excessive exercise.
A person, who chews and spits out food, but does not swallow it.
An intense preoccupation with weight loss.
Covered mirrors in his/her living space.
An obsession with food preparation.

However, recovery from an eating disorder is possible, especially when you catch it in the early stages. And, the fact that you wrote to TeenHealthFX means that you are ready and willing to take steps necessary to do so. But, remember you cannot do it alone. It is well documented that the most effective treatment for eating disorders is to work with a multidisciplinary team consisting of a medical provider, therapist, and nutritionist. It seems that you feel like you cannot go to your parents, so maybe you should first try talking to someone else such as your pediatrician, a school guidance counselor, school nurse or a teacher to get you in touch with the appropriate professionals. However, it is important for your parents to be involved in the recovery process. While you are concerned that your parents might get mad and yell at you, both you and they need to realize that this is not your fault and not something that you are really in control of. Eating disorders are illnesses, and should be treated as such- your parents would not get angry with you for getting a cold, would they? Maybe once you talk to another trusted adult first, they can help you approach your parents about what you are experiencing. Hopefully, your parents will be understanding and do everything they can to help you get through this.

TeenHealthFX wants to remind you that recovering from an eating disorder is not simply about gaining weight and learning how to eat properly. In most cases, eating disorders are primarily psychological in nature. Usually, when someone has an eating disorder, there is something else bothering him or her. It may be low self-esteem or depression, but the person uses food as a way to try to gain control of their life (see Coping with Anorexic Friend- relationships/real-73). It is important for these issues to be addressed, too, as that can help in the recovery process.

If you live in northern New Jersey, you can also get help at the Eating Disorders Program at Atlantic Health System at (908) 522.5757; check out our links section to find resources outside of this area.

Signed: TeenHealthFX