Expert: Joanne - 6/29/2007

Question
My son is aged 24 yrs software professional.For the last couple of months he had been stressful due to personal conditions. I am worried as he is taking 15 % of his meals intake that too on our insistance.He had suffered from throat allergies & cough. He has trimmed of already skinny built. Please advise

Answer
I think that he may need to see his Dr.  This could be an eating problem that is his way of dealing with the stress, but it could also be that he is too stressed to eat - he has losed his appetite because of it.

I would recommend that he see his Dr to get them to rule out anything else that may be causing a loss in appetite, but then I would ask that he may be referred to someone that cen teach him some stress management techniques that may be of use!

If he does have an eating disorder, it may be hard to persuade him to admit to a problem, and go to the Dr, but again, he needs to be referred onto someone if that is the case also.

You can not always be there making sure he eats, this is something that he needs to 'own' and set about working on himself!

Please feel free to come back with any other questions you or your son may have!

All the best to both of you,
Holly