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Anorexia/Eating Disorders/Overexercising/Anorexia and Amenorrhea

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Expert: Melissa - 4/19/2009


Question
Hi, I am a 16-year-old girl who is recovering from Anorexia. I am 5'5" and weigh 111 lbs. My question is that since I am at a healthy BMI, why am I not getting my periods? I got them once or twice since starting my recovery, but it has now been over six months. I eat about 2100 calories per day, and I exercise 6-7 days per week, 30 min. -  2 hours per day (I'm on the swim team). I have read that Amenorrhea may be caused by an insufficient fat intake, but I eat at least 60 grams of pretty healthy fats (including saturated) per day and take fish oil supplements with breakfast dinner. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much!
A

Answer
At 5'5, you are still underweight. You are on the border of being at a healthy bmi. If you are eating enough and it sounds like you are, then your weight might be too low for your period to return.
You should see your doctor and discuss this with him or her because I don't know your frame size and what's healthy for YOU.
Worse case scenario, you can have your period induced with a prescription pill. You might want to talk to your doctor about that, too, if it comes to that.
Hope this helps,
Melissa

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Melissa

Expertise

I battled anorexia and bulimia for 6 years. I am not a doctor, but I learned a lot about the mental, emotional, and physical aspects of having an eating disorder and how scary it is to feel like you are alone in your illness. You are not alone. I can answer questions based on my experience with anything relating to anorexia and/or bulimia. I can provide information on treatment options, some specific treatment centers, resources that may help you find a treatment center, and my opinion on all of the above. I was a patient at a few outpatient and inpatient programs so I am happy to answer questions about those experiences. I am not affiliated with any of the resources I may provide. It’s strictly my opinion based on my experiences. I can NOT answer medical questions. I will NOT answer questions on how to become anorexic or bulimic or how to lose weight in an unhealthy matter.

Experience

I have recovered from a six year struggle with both anorexia and bulimia. I hope my experiences and the time I spent in and out of treatment will encourage others to never give up. I never thought I would or could recover because I couldn’t picture myself ever having a normal relationship with food. Since then, I have grown and learned that I can overcome what I once thought was impossible. Hold on to the idea that recovery is attainable!

Education/Credentials
I am attending college for an unrelated degree.

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