My 13 yo weighs 80 pounds

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My sister was severely anorexic and spent months in and out of the hospital during her high school years. It nearly killed her and she has life-long health consequences from it. It was terrifying. You need a team of doctors, not dietitians.

This. She likely needs to go inpatient for a time, OP. She is dangerously ill.

At 5'2" her BMI is lower than 98% of girls her age and height.

Anorexia can be very risky re: electrolytes and cardiac issues. Her weight is so low already, this is not something that 45 min of therapy is going to put a floor in. She needs to be stabilized and monitored before psych interventions can take effect.

You are missing the point of the scale. Kids who are severely underweight and susceptible to cardiac issues aren't even on the scale...literally 100% of people are higher than those folks. If OP's daughter was 83 pounds she would be considered a healthy weight.

It is the rapid weight loss that is the issue, not the absolute weight. Clearly, this can't continue and you want to understand the underlying causes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it an eating disorder? Or could it be a health issue like stomach pain or cancer? Is she trying not to eat or is it painful for her?

All that needs to be ruled out. Plus blood work to check potassium sodium iron and everything else.

[Anonymous]

My DD went through the exact same thing this summer. Call the pediatrician tomorrow because she will need her blood pressure and pulse rate checked. My dd’s was dangerously low. The good news is she is back to full health with weight restored now. I am sending you good thoughts for the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Her weight is not the issue, its the weight loss and changed eating habits.

My 13 yo also weighs 80 pounds. But that is her normal weight - she gains a little each year as she grows.

+1
My 14 year old weights 87lbs and is 5'7". She has always been skinny, so this is her normal. I would worry about the emotional issues attached to the changed behaviors.

This seems too low for 5'7.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Her weight is not the issue, its the weight loss and changed eating habits.

My 13 yo also weighs 80 pounds. But that is her normal weight - she gains a little each year as she grows.

This isn’t about your daughter. It’s about a 13 year old who went from a normal 96 lbs at 5”2 and dropped 16 lbs in a very short time. That's almost a 20% weight loss. That could be a serious health issue and she needs a doctors appointment right away.

But it’s the weight loss that’s the problem. Plenty of small kids are 5% on the weight chart.

[Anonymous]

My 15 yo lost 20 pounds in 3 months and it was Crohn's.

[Anonymous]

This was me when I was 13. This screams eating disorder. I was anorexic. Please get her help.

[Anonymous]

I’m so sorry OP, if your ped has an on call doc or nurse I would call right now. If not, I would go to the ER. The weight itself and the rapid drop are very concerning. She may need cardiac monitoring/stabilization.

My niece was misdiagnosed with anorexia, she had a rare condition called Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome and nearly died. I know there are other issues that present like anorexia and also result in misdiagnosis. Make sure you ask about other possible conditions and have a medical team you really trust.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Her weight is not the issue, its the weight loss and changed eating habits.

My 13 yo also weighs 80 pounds. But that is her normal weight - she gains a little each year as she grows.

+1
My 14 year old weights 87lbs and is 5'7". She has always been skinny, so this is her normal. I would worry about the emotional issues attached to the changed behaviors.

This is NOT normal. 87lbs at 5’ 7”??? This would be considered scary skinny in the 90s when the insanely skinny look was considered normal and body image was insanely skewed.

[Anonymous]

Op -when we went through this for a severe picky eater we were told to go to the Duke center for eating disorders. Be aware, though, that they want the entire family to come for an extended period of time … at least they did about six years ago. Good luck

[Anonymous]

+1 to a lot of the advice you’re getting. If it’s anorexia you likely need to jump quickly, like asap, and get a team in place or in-patient. Top priority is to get all vitals checked and maybe heart specialist. Next is to restore weight. Therapy is often less effective until she is back at a normal (for her) weight, and a dietitian for her to talk to may only add stress. Google Minnesota starvation experiment for effect on brain and attitude.

We did family based therapy and maudsley diet (which is the parents plating food), and an exchange system first. It was horrible and stressful but seems to be working.

[Anonymous]

Ignore the posters who are posting their DC’s height/weight/age. Everyone is so different, I have no idea why they are chiming in with their DC’s stats.

Your DC has lost a lot of weight rapidly, and you see extreme changes in eating habits. You know there is something concerning. Get a pediatrician appt as soon as possible.

[Anonymous]

This is an eating disorder and sadly they can be deadly. Please talk to your pediatrician and therapist about a ED program. So sorry!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is an eating disorder and sadly they can be deadly. Please talk to your pediatrician and therapist about a ED program. So sorry!

How can you know this for sure??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Her weight is not the issue, its the weight loss and changed eating habits.

My 13 yo also weighs 80 pounds. But that is her normal weight - she gains a little each year as she grows.

+1
My 14 year old weights 87lbs and is 5'7". She has always been skinny, so this is her normal. I would worry about the emotional issues attached to the changed behaviors.

87 lbs at 5'7"?? PP, you are either disordered yourself or you are ignoring/abetting a very sick child.