Expert: Jeanne Rust, PhD - 10/29/2009

Question
QUESTION: When I was about 13 I started to become more aware of my body. I had been a competitive gymnast for 7 years and I had just gotten a new coach who was teaching us how to eat healthier. So, I cut back on my sugary foods and started eating better which my parents loved. Then in about 9th grade I started eating less and thought a lot about my body and how it looked. I lost about 8 pounds which people commented on and it felt good. Slowly the problem has gotten worse and now I am 16 and I eat anywhere from 600-1000 calories a day and never more. I still work out a ton and am a competitive cheerleader. I have had friends ask me if I am anorexic because i never eat and they think I look skinnier. I am only five foot one and because of my muscle I still weigh 115 which is a BMI of 21.7 or so. I do not believe I am anorexic because i do eat and my BMI is normal. But recently I had found information on EDNOS and I was wonder if that is what I might have.

ANSWER: Dear Jessica,

Height and weight are not the only indicators of an eating disorder.  There is a possibility that you might have EDNOS -- I'm wondering how many hours you work out every day?  You might also be an exercise bulimic.  You are not eating nearly enough for an active girl!

It's so seductive when we lose weight and people tell us how good we look!  It's so easy to keep thinking if I don't eat much -- like 600-1000 calories a day, I'll be able to stay this thin.  Did you know that the prisoners in concentration camps in Germany during WW II, ate 800 calories a day??

Anorexia is not a glamerous condition -- it can be heartbreaking.  It steals lives from young women -- it is dangerous and deadly.

Please see a therapist who specializes in eating disorders -- also a good dietitian.

Let me know how you do!

Warmly,
Jeannie Rust, PhD
CEO/Founder
Mirasol Treatment Centers
www.mirasol.net
www.edrecovery.com
888-520-1700



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I try to run about thirty minutes twice a week and then i go to the gym for cheer five hours a week. but the thing is i'm just not hungry anymore it's like my body has learned to function with that much a day and i get really sick if i try to eat more. like i feel nauseas.

Answer
Dear jessica,

The thing is that your metabolism is taking a big hit!  It needs food to keep going at a high, appropriate level.  Feeling nauseous when you eat can very easily be a psychological part of the disease.  People with eating disorders have something called lack of proprioceptive awareness -- they literally can fell very little in their bodies!  Part of treatment is developing the ability to tell when you're full and hungry again.

Warmly,
Jeannie