Expert: Melissa - 1/26/2009

Question
Hi there, I'm 17 years old, 5'3" and currently 100 pounds.

I've had a problem eating for my entire life, but over the past year or so I've noticed that I *can't* eat much anymore.

What I mean by this was when I was about 13, I could eat half of a large pizza, and not feel sick, and I've only grown one inch - same weight as back then.

Now I can hardly get down one piece.

My boyfriend has brought up the possibility of Anorexia Nervosa because of my "Unwillingness to eat" but I don't think that's really the case. I am completely repulsed by overweight people, and will of course not ever allow myself to get out of shape, but I wouldn't say I starve myself.

My biggest concern right now is clarification of the disease, mainly - what makes one anorexic?

Note, I am not asking for a medical diagnosis, as I am aware none of the experts here can  do =) But I am hoping for an educated or expirienced opinion that may help save me troubles, or even my life.

Right now eating makes me sick. This morning I had 5 Oreos for breakfast, and that was way too much, normally I have about 2 (I love Oreos) and a cup of milk. There are 66 calories per double stuffed Oreo, and so thats up to 330 for breakfast (plus a cup of whole milk)

I would like to note here, that I do not count calories, I just looked at the package to see because that seems to be the most common  form of .. telling how 'much' one eats.

After going through the whole day, I talked to my boyfriend and he said he was proud of me for eating the oreos for BREAKFAST, and seeming how I hadn't eaten for the rest of the day - he was a bit upset.

To make him feel better, I ate half a cup of Ramen (290 calories for a full one) but I feel very sick.

So, thats about.. 500 calories for today, and I would say today was a pretty gluttonous day.

The only thing I am confused about is I'm not .. not eating to keep myself thin, I work out and I'm on the Varsity LaCrosse team at my school, so that doesn't really bother me - but, I don't eat because I feel sick.

I'm not really sure how to fix this, but tonight we decided to have me eat at least the following :
4 pieces of bread product
1 fresh 'thing' (Fruit or veggies)
1 'piece' (serving) of dairy
1 slice of ham

I know by all means this is not a healthy diet, but I also know it is a vast improvement from 3 oreos and a cup of whole milk.

Please offer me advice as to how to possibly wean myself back onto eating, or perhaps a wake up  call to let me know if this has gotten more out of hand than I've realized.

Sorry for the length, but much appriciated thanks in advance

~Mandy

Answer
It doesn't sound like you are anorexic to me. But just to answer your question, the key features of Anorexia nervosa are a refusal to sustain a normal body weight, intense fear of gaining weight even when underweight, and a distorted view of one's body or weight.

I commend you for making the effort to eat more for your health and I'm glad your boyfriend is encouraging you to incorporate more foods into your diet. Its extremely important that you see a registered dietician AND your medical doctor about this problem. But in the mean time, in order to sustain your health you should try to eat more calorie dense foods. Foods like: peanut butter, nuts, oatmeal, brown rice, olive oil, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, eggs, sweet potato or pumpkin pie; baked potatoes or you can make a milkshake or smoothie, and add some protein powder.

I would also recommend eating pretty simplistic foods such as crackers, toast, or a veggie burger. Sometimes foods with a lot of flavor or extras can make it harder to eat when you feel sick.

I really hope you see a doctor because this concerns me.
Best,
Melissa