Expert: Joanne - 8/25/2007

Question
I have been dating my girlfriend for three years now and in that time she has gotten progressively thinner. She's 5'6 and when I met her she probably weighed around 115 or 120 pounds but now she is just 97 pounds and can fit into some of her twelve year old nieces' clothes. Whenever I talk to her about it, she insists there is nothing wrong and she is being health conscious. She does eat at regular intervals but it is usually things like salad or rice cakes and always diet beverages or water. How can I help her if indeed she needs help?

Answer
Unfortunately, all you can do is let her know that you will be there to support her and listen if she wants to talk about anything!

Unless she is a minor, you can't force medical treatment upon her, unless it becomes life-or-death and she is sectioned, but it doesn't sound like it's at that stage yet.  If she is minor, I think you need to discuss your concerns with her parents!

I think that you should visit www.something-fishy.org and have a read of signs and symptoms, and what you can do to help!  There are also message boards for loved-ones there that will allow you to talk to other people that are in your situation.  She may find the other section for sufferers helpful if she has a problem and is ready to admit to it!

Hope you find this helpful!

All the best to both of you - Holly