Expert: Ryan Hale - 7/5/2011

Question
ryan,

I have a friend who wants to be anorexic.
Shes 22 .around 5'2 and about 210lbs.
being heavy makes her severely depressed.
she spends hours looking at proana web sites.

she also has hypothyroidism. she says she will do anything to lose weight. the doctors insisted she would lose the weight by taking synthroid (which she has been on all her life) but even taking the pill and all her lvls being normal she continues to gain weight.

she eats healthy and works out 2-3 days a week for 30 min to and hour.

2 years ago she had her first child and went from 160 to 210. I believe that is what really pushed her "over the edge"


can some one decide to be anorexic?  
if she keeps following this lifestyle will she eventually make herself anorexic?


I want to help her. I know she is frustrated at trying everything she can find to lose weight and nothing is working.

please help.

Answer
Christy- your friend's thyroid issue can be a major contributor to the problem.  It sounds like she needs to be seen by her doctor of an evaluation to see if the medication level is sufficient.  That's where I'd start.  It's not really possible for someone to just decide to be anorexic, although people can decide to do behaviors that can lead to it.  I think she could use some help getting past the baby weight and finding a new healthy lifestyle.  As a somewhat new father, I can see how difficult it is to start a healthy pattern of activity or eating.  And, even if you do, there is constantly something coming up that gets in the way of a work out or there are leftovers that you end up eating that you normally wouldn't... things like that.  And I'm the dad so that doesn't even include the weight gain the mom experiences.  She could have experienced postpartum depression or be suffering from the effects of it from months ago.  Again, a medical evaluation would be helpful.