Expert: Joanne - 1/10/2009

Question
Hi I am a 5ft 4inch 30 year old female, 5 months ago I weighed 15/16 stone
by doing a 500kcal aday diet I have gone down to 8 st I still need and want
to lose more. But my family freinds ect say I have lost enough and think I
look ok, but I can see that I still need to lose weight I don't like food I won't
eat in front of others most of my kcal come from hot choccie healthy one. The
family ect have said that there worried that I'm anorexic but how can I be if I
eat.  I have hot choccie in morning, a weight watchers yogart for lunch or a
10 kcal jelly depends. And for tea I have a low kcal meal no bigger than 300
kcal and I never eat after 5 pm. Is there a problem like they think?  I no I still
have weight to lose I see it but I wish they could  

Answer
Leilani

It is not healthy for you to be consuming any less than about 1200 calories a day!

To have halfed your weight in only 5 months is scary!  I think that you need to stop now and visit your doctor to make sure that you have not done any lasting damage.  Fast weight loss is very dangerous and can put a huge strain on your organs!

Anorexics generally DO eat!  They just consume very few calories!  It is a misconception that they completely starve!  500 calories a day seems like a diet that an anorexic may follow!

To have lost so much weight and still feel like you need to lose more, despite the concern and fears of those close to you, is indicative that you may have an eating disorder.  You need to think realistically about the way you think about eating and how you feel once you have eaten.

I would recommend printing off this document http://www.eatingdisorderinfo.org/Portals/29/Documents/EAt264.pdf
answer the questions honestly, then score it!  If you get a score over 20, then I would recommend taking your test paper to your doctor and asking for some professional help.

Unfortunately eating disorders aren't as simple as just how much you eat, there are a lot of things that go on psychologically, and that is what needs to be assessed!  You just need to make sure that you are also physically well first!

Joanne