Not a typo! Bring on the welfare check. I’ve taken her to the doctor every year for a well checkup since she was born. Actually, she goes to the doctor for everything. I’ve spoken to them about how to make her gain weight and after years the Dr said “this is just her curve. As long as she’s growing up, let’s not worry about her growing out”. She was born a premie, so we’ve monitored this closely since birth. Seriously, this is genetic. Her grandmother and aunt were the same way. She eats normally. My husband is 6’ and weighs 140 - he eats like a horse. My younger child is also 1% for weight, she’s short for her age so it’s less obvious. I’ve taken her to the doctor specifically about her small size and the Dr looked at me and simply said “aww this one takes after mom.”. I’m also very petite. |
Calm down! Yes, she’s skinny. I know that. Healthy weight is a range and depends on a lot of factors. Just like a child can be very heavy and still be healthy a child can also be very light and be healthy. |
NP, but you posting here seems wildly inappropriate. Clearly your DD stats are near skeletal. While that may be her “normal” OP’s daughter, and probably a lot of the posters here have or have kids that have struggled with an ED and this is not helpful. |
Yes, the point is the CHANGE not the size. I hope your daughter is OK. I can only imagine the worry. I am the poster with the 5’7” daughter who is 87lbs and you can see from those responses people are quick to judge and criticize. I have been to see a doctor with both my skinny kids. The older one used to get made fun of at school “what your parents don’t feed you?” type thing. Comments like that really hurt her feelings, because there was nothing she could do and people actually did think she had an eating disorder. For us, we were told it was normal - she has always been very skinny. Right before a growth spurt she would hit 5% weight and then drop right back off the chart as she started to grow. Is your daughter going through friend drama? My DD said there is a group of girls that will only have bread and lemonade at school, so they are encouraging each other. (My DD eats burritos and cheeseburgers because she does track and swimming afterschool and needs the energy). If you can figure out the cause - whether physical, social, or emotional - it will be easier to resolve the symptoms (weight loss). Good luck. |
I’m sorry that YOU don’t find it helpful; someone else might. I agree with OP the problem is when there is a CHANGE, not necessarily the height and weight - but most posters seem to be missing that. Disordered eating is about the HABITS, not the physical symptom - that was my point. |
I agree. The ER is a bad suggestion. |
Please ignore this poster. The BMI was never meant to assess individuals, it was meant to quantify weight in a population. It’s a very imprecise measure, especially for females and athletes. Good luck to you and your DD, OP! |
Quoting myself here because I don’t get the umbrage about the ER. I said what I would do, explained why, and shared some important information that our extended family learned the hard way. I don’t think OP’s course of action was wrong. I’m glad they have a path that feels safe to them and wish all the best for their DD. Some people on this board could really benefit from an understanding that there’s rarely a single, exactly right answer. There can be multiple right ways to do something. |
I just want to commend OP for catching this within a few months of it starting. And OP is seeking very quick intervention. I wish OP all the best in this journey. |
OP, I was in the same situation with my daughter a year ago, and it was anorexia that went undiagnosed for months. She was in-patient for 6 weeks, and got down to 65 lbs before she finally started to eat again, and it is a very scary and deadly illness. She is now eating well but still has some ED behaviors and fear foods, and the biggest issue for her now is the long term mental health impacts of it all. Be aware that many doctors and therapists are not knowledgeable about eating disorders, but trained just to check BMI, which really is a useless metric. Her pediatrician said I was wrong to suspect ED despite dropping 110 to 80 lbs, and despite my concerns that she didn't eat enough, because "she was still in an acceptable BMI range". Even her therapist at the time gave her the EAT-26 and determined she didn't have an ED, but she had lied on every question. You should seek providers who specialize in ED to get a real diagnosis (and unfortunately that means usually going out of network for insurance). Patients with eating disorders will lie to hide the ED, it is all a part of the symptoms of the disorder.
If you haven't, try to find what is on her devices. Has she been looking at pro-ana content or anything else that could demonstrate Ed or body image issues? There are much better resources out there for you than the awful commentary found on DCUM. Check out the ATDTfb Facebook group for support from other parents, and the Feast newsletter: https://www.feast-ed.org/at-the-feast-table/ And here are some other resources recommended by my daughter's wonderful current therapist: https://coastalcollaborativecare.com/resources/ Rock Recovery also has great outpatient support groups and resources. Good luck and I'm so sorry you and your daughter are going through this. |
Clearly YOU missed that. Your always thin and following her own curve, slowing growing, dr not concerned, etc. daughter’s height and weight is totally irrelevant here |
Pp strikes me as one of those disordered eating people that always draws attention to what she eats or how she looks. Probably does the same to her kids. |
I don't think PP was being serious...however, was reacting to a strange holier-than-thou posting that their 5'3" kid at 130 pounds was some tremendous physical specimen, but OP's 5'2" 80lb kid needed to be driven to the ER immediately. The point is that the BMI for the 80pounder is at the 2%ile while a healthy weight is the 5% - 85%ile. The BMI for the 130lbs is at the 87%ile. OP's kid has dropped a significant amount of weight quickly, but you can have a perfectly healthy 13 year old that is naturally at 80 pounds. |
Why does everyone assume eating disorder? It was Celiac's for my cousin. Get her blood work done immediately. |
OP,
I hope the appointment goes well. Good for you for catching things quickly. I had EDs as a teen and never received proper help which has led to some long lasting health issues. You likely thought it was less of a loss bc it can be camouflaged at first with bulky clothes and layers. Best wishes to your daughter and your family. |