Expert: Nafeesah - 2/7/2010

Question
hello,
this is about my daughter. she is 13 years old and only has about 1 meal a day, sometimes even less then that. she has dark circles under her eyes. she is 13 at the momement (size 6-8 sometimes 8-10 too) she is 165cm and7 stone 12.i worry about her and fear she may end up in a grave next to her grandfather. i am very scared and even when i force her to eat, she just throws half of it in the bin. i dont know what to do. we are going for another appointment with my GP and last time, he said there was nothing wrong but we'd have to have multiple appoitments to establish that. she is getting very bony every week and i am very scared. i dont know what to say to her or do.

Answer
This is not normal for a 13 year old to be doing this because she's depriving her body of nutrients that is vital for a teenage girl's body. Not eating could result in her having these issues hair weakening and loss, irregular and/or ceased menstral cycle, premature osteoporosis as a result of not getting enough calcium. If your GP said that nothing is wrong it's clear that she's showing behavioral patterns of someone who's anorexic and she needs to be in treatment because that's when they start making them eat and to also undergo extensive therapy both in group and individual sessions. Your daughter is also at risk for developing bulimia which is the next thing that many who suffer anorexia start doing to themselves. I would talk to your doctor and get a referral from a mental health counselor to get some resources for in patient treatment facilities for teens and young adults where your daughter could spend a month or two getting the help she needs. I would keep a running tab of what your daughter eats and how much and if she had thrown food out this can give  counselor some idea of how to best help you find the appropriate setting for your daughter to get some counseling.