When is it time to be concerned about teen daughter's eating?!
Question: She is 15. She has become weight conscious. I have caught her making herself throw up once. She eats 3 bites of food at dinner. (she has started eating a bit more since I have made her aware of my concerns). I got a printout of her lunch account at school and she has not ordered lunch in over a month and when she does, she only buys a bottle of water, maybe a roll. I don't want to make a big deal over nothing, but I want to catch a problem early, perhaps when it is just a fad/phase. She has a slight OCD issue, very slight.
I would like to hear from other teens her age with this problem.
Answers: She is 15. She has become weight conscious. I have caught her making herself throw up once. She eats 3 bites of food at dinner. (she has started eating a bit more since I have made her aware of my concerns). I got a printout of her lunch account at school and she has not ordered lunch in over a month and when she does, she only buys a bottle of water, maybe a roll. I don't want to make a big deal over nothing, but I want to catch a problem early, perhaps when it is just a fad/phase. She has a slight OCD issue, very slight.
I would like to hear from other teens her age with this problem.
that is an eating disorder. Trust me, I know. I am 16 yrs old and i started doing that stuff when I was 14. I started out at 5'4'' 100 lbs and ended up at about 5'5'' 78 lbs. THIS IS NOT NORMAL. I got help but had to be hospilized for 6 weeks due to partial heart failure. Not to be harsh, but I really hope u take her to her doctor NOW and have him suggest a therapist and nutritionist. While it may be a "fad" she is slowly destructing her body. What is her current height and weight?
I know a lot of people with this problem. It is not a fad, it is serious! One of my really good friends is Bullimic/Ano. She started like that. I think you should get help for her before she hurts herself. Check this website:
http://www.webmd.com/search/search_resul...
well, when i was a teen i had her problem.
you have discovered the problem early. make sure she eats breakfast, lunch and dinner. breakfast and lunch are important to keep her energised throughout the day.
if she keeps it up or shows more signs of anorexia/bulimia you're going to have to get her some professional help.
talk to her about why she is eating less. make her know that she doesn't need to lose weight because she is already beautiful.
You need to get her to a doctor straight away!!! She is seriously ill! Wether or not she wants help she NEEDS help. As her mother its your responsibility to see that this problem is addressed!!
ok, this isn't that good. I know girls like her, but they kinda gave up on it. Tell her that if she does this she's going to makeherself fatter in the long run, because it slows down your metabolism. When she gets hungry, she might eat food all in a bulk, but its better to eat proper meals and exercise. I do know girls that never eat lunch, but they eat a full dinner. sorry if im sounding bossy here. Good luck
well you see.. when you stop eating or very little, you accaully start to gain wait, as your body slows down your matabalism, and starts to store water and fat so as it thinks there is like a low amount of food.. so it's better to eat when you are hungrey!
As a parent you need to become as involved as you can. Don't let these things go by un noticed. I am just 17 and don't have a kid..but I know what it is like to be her age and take on unhealthy habits. You need to have a talk with her and if she fights you..then she obviously is hiding something..or something is bothering her. Maybe bring her to a nutritionist that can explain that healthy eating habits are a good thing and that it won't make her fat to eat 3 meals a day. Have someone set an example for her. I used to skip meals thinking that it would help me lose weight or not gain weight. It didn't. Just help out your daughter..don't just let this go by. I hope this helps.
I had a college roommate that was/is bulimic. It started in junior high, and got much worse after that. She still struggles daily with her problem. The sooner you can help your daughter, the easier it will be.
If you have such strong evidence of this problem, don't wait to help her! She needs someone to support her and get through this in the best way possible. I think that you should talk to her, see if you think things are changing. Be aware that people who have body image issues can be very good at hiding the steps they're taking to change their image.
You might consider talking to a professional or getting some advice on how to approach her and what else to watch out for.
Best Wishes
I'm not currently a teen but as a teen I did the same thing. My biggest problem with eating at school was being self concious about other people looking at me and what i was eating. I to have a very slight case of OCD, and food was one of the things that i couldn't control. I mean I still have times where the food is in my mouth, chewed up and everything and i have to spit it out, I mean I literallly have to i can't even force myself to swallow it. And when i do manage to eat I get sick to my stomach i don't have to force the food out it does it on it's own.
My suggestion is for now provide her with nutrious food, not just junk and allow her to eat away from prying eyes. Don't MAKE her eat at the table with the rest of the family. This may sound like your giving her specail treatment but the fact is you want your daughter to be comfortable and right now she isn't. Let her eat when and where she wants to as long as she is eating it. If you catch her throwing up again, I mean ONE MORE TIME you take her butt to the Doctor ASAP. Don't let it become a habit for her, it may take some medication to help her with the OCD as I think that's what her problem is, you may think it's smaller than it really is. As for school...well kids can be cruel and drive you to even want to kill yourself. I know this for a fact, your daughter may not feel comfortable eating in front of her peers. There isn't alot that can be done about this, you can't pull her out of school just for that. But you can make sure she has a filling and nutrious breakfast, and maybe a protein shake or bar to take to school with her. And when she gets home give her a snack she can take to her room.
Above all LOVE her, and let her know that you love her. Catch this now or it could mean a life time of bad eating habits.
Good Luck
Oh the pressures of highschool. I am 16 and a sophmore. Today in class we read a poem by Shakespeare that basically said his lover was ugly, but it didn't matter. Because the only thing that matters is what you are like on the inside.
A couple of the boys began a discussion for the whole class to hear and one said
"Yeah, but you have to look good on the outside too."
and were talking about how girls they wanted had to be so pretty and hot.
The pressures of people at school are enough to make anyone pick up an eating disorder. You need to make her feel comfortable with herself and maybe some counceling now at early stages so those comments don't get to her.