What is wrong with my teenage daughter? (Teens and fellow parents wanted!)?

Question

Shes lost alot of weight recently.
Shes eighteen, 5'1 and has gone from a size 14 to a size 10 in three months.
Ive noticed a change in her eating habits and suspected she might be anorexic... Until i had a clean up in her bedroom.

Ive noticed shes been snubbing meals, either refusing to eat them outright, or inisisting she take them to her room, which is fine by me.
But since having a tidy round her room, I noticed an awful smell…
Ive since discovered plastic bags of food everywhere! All of her meals, rotting food!

If she was anorexic, then this would add up, but I also found packets of doughnuts, crisps and chocolate hidden behind her bed, which she has CLEARLY eaten.
Ive also found wrappers of sweets in her coat pocket.

If she was anorexic, surely she wouldn’t be eating this junk! But then how can I account for her dramatic weight loss?

Im seriously concerned about her, but I wanted the opinions of children her own age, or adults that have experienced similar events before I march her down to the nearest clinic.
Thank you, god bless.

Answer 1

First of all, I am a teen. I think, sadly, she is becoming anorexic. But the junk food thing is really weird. I think she may not like the food that you cook her, no offense, and does not want to hurt your feelings. Also, is she size 14 is kids or teens? I am guessing teens, and that is a big size! So if she is overweight, she might want to lose weight and become healthy. Even if she does not eat normal food and just eats junk food, she mights still become anorexic because she might excercise a lot and burn off the junk food. Bless you, and good luck!



EDIT: There is also another type of eating problems, which is a connection to anorexic. She might be eating the junk food at a time just to get some calories, and throw it up afterword. This is a REALLY serious problem, and I think you should take her to the doctor as soon as possible. Eating problems can become adictive, and result in serious health problems.

Answer 2

LISTEN TO ME. im getting help soon with my anorexia, so if you need answers, its best to ask a fellow eating disorder victom. its pretty clear that she hasnt been eating. so she probably is anorexic. thats the only thing that can explain the hidden food and quick loss of weight. the reasoning behind the sweets is probably because of her "binge" days. those are days when you eat a ton of food to boost up your metabolism or just because she couldnt handle being so hungry. one binge day only gains her the most two or three pounds. so the next day, if she doesnt binge again, then shell continue to lose weight. also a posibilty is bulimia. after she eats those sweets she could have disposed of it in the toilet.



only i believe that the only way you can find out the truth is asking her. totally confront her. if she denies it, and you still dont believe it. then, this is harsh, but the next time you tidy her room, look through her notebooks or journals. read a page or two. and if its mentioned anywhere, then you got her. if you cant find any evidence then confront her again and tell her that if she doesnt tell you whats going on, and why shes been hiding food, and how she lost all her weight. then threaten her that youll send her to an eating disorder recovery home. if she really has an eating disorder, shell maybe come out with it and beg you not to send her there. and youll have your answer. what you decide after, is your choice.

Answer 3

Sounds like she is trying to be anorexic, then ends up binging on junk food. Since she is losing weight so rapidly, she may be making herself vomit up the junk food.



Speak with her doctor or school counselor before you talk to her to get some suggestions. The most well meaning parents can make the situation worse by saying the wrong thing because you love her so much and are afraid.

Answer 4

Lindsay Lohan is super skinny and only eats junk food. No doubt she has an eating disorder to some degree. Many people with eating disorders crave sweets and eat lots of them. Sometimes they will purge them up. When you skip meals you get low blood sugar and crave sugar. I suggest protein as a food for weight loss because unlike sugar foods its filling and stops cravings for sweets, not to mention it has much less calories. Whenever I skipped meals i'd get cravings for sweets. But when i ate a lot of protein it helped big time. Skipping meals is never good because it leads to binging. It can actually cause your body to hold onto fat because it thinks its starving. A slow metabolism is not good. Your daughter should eat 1,200 calories a day at least. Also drinking water helps a lot because it flushes out toxins and a lot of other benefits.

Answer 5

This is a serious issue that left unchecked may result in more self destructive behavior and health issues. I think the first step is to try to talk to her to find out what the root cause may be. If you are not having success, then schedule an appointment with a female counselor that specializes in eating disorders. I strongly suggest you watch the video below. By all means, address this immediately!

Answer 6

Well as a recovering anorexic myself, she may have what we call a "binge drawer", which a drawer full of all the stuff you crave when you are going to binge/purge. So she may eat very little to nothing and then binge on junk and purge. It's extremely dangerous.



When you approach her she may be very defensive so be careful with wording what you want to say. I hope you are able to help her because this disease can consume your life.

Answer 7

I think it is a kind of illness like Anorexia. It means that people eat much in one time and threw it out afterwards. It is also a form of Anorexia I think. To my opinion it's bad that she does this. Maybe she wants to lose weight but it's also possible on another way. I think she should go to a clinic or somewhere where she can learn how to lose weight on a save way.

Answer 8

Regardless, she has an eating disorder. Try changing things on your end first; things you can directly control. You can make really healthy, low calorie, dinners. Makes lots of veggies, and do whatever, but have low calorie, but balanced meals. If she doesn't start eating heathy in front of you after you start making really healthy meals, then do something more confrontational.

Answer 9

Please, TALK to her nicely heart to heart talk. Teens needs their parents , the love the understanding. Open your heart ask her , what upset her, friends? family? something you said.? Show her love, respect. At that age i had the same problem, eat, not to eat, up and downs . If you can Communicatee well , if you ask her what kind of food she reallyenjoyss now; you might be able to help her. Teens are under peer pressure in this country. You as a GREAT MOM, you are the one she needs now. It is psychosomatic. Give her love ,hugs, kisses. Talk and most of all listen. Please try this first of all

Answer 10

you need to confront her. I dont know whats going on, but it seems like shes just trading meals for junk. Not good. Stop letting her take her food to her room.

Answer 11

you are going to have to talk to her. This could be the sign of something really wrong or it could be she is trying to lose weight and this is the only way she knows how.