normal weight for DD?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here-- to specify the things I've noticed: DD will cut and count calories for a week or so, and then eat normally for awhile, weighs herself daily, and dances at least 2 hours a day. This has been going on for about a year and a half or so, and she's actually gained 13 pounds over that time. So she's at a healthy weight and height but seems to be flickering between healthy eating habits and "fasting." She does eat a TON of sugar imo, which I constantly bug her about. It's not like she doesn't eat because I see her eat.

You need to explain to her that sugar causes cancer tumors to grow. And get her to transition out of complex sugars via natural sugars like fruit into a non-sugar diet. Its just SO bad for you, worse than anorexia.

Sugar is NOT worse than anorexia.

Anorexia has a 20% death rate. One if the worst things you can say to someone with anorexia is that some foods are “bad.”

[Anonymous]

Kids need sugar. She is active, I would never, ever tell a child that is underweight not to eat sugar. That is how parents cause eating disordered!

[Anonymous]

Lots of Sugar and fatty foods are required for anorexia recovery!!

[Anonymous]

OP— ok, thanks everyone for the recommendations. I’ll try talking to her about it.

As for the question on fasting: She’s might feel like she needs to control her weight or how her body looks for ballet is my best guess.

Also, is a weight fluctuation of 106.2 to 112 in four days normal?
My problem with the sugar is that if she’s hungry she should be eating natural sugar or protein.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP— ok, thanks everyone for the recommendations. I’ll try talking to her about it.

As for the question on fasting: She’s might feel like she needs to control her weight or how her body looks for ballet is my best guess.

Also, is a weight fluctuation of 106.2 to 112 in four days normal?
My problem with the sugar is that if she’s hungry she should be eating natural sugar or protein.

This. Is. Exactly. Right.

Those posters saying kids need sugar need to go back to 1950.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP— ok, thanks everyone for the recommendations. I’ll try talking to her about it.

As for the question on fasting: She’s might feel like she needs to control her weight or how her body looks for ballet is my best guess.

Also, is a weight fluctuation of 106.2 to 112 in four days normal?
My problem with the sugar is that if she’s hungry she should be eating natural sugar or protein.

Please throw out the scale!! If she’s weighing that often that is a red flag. No scale!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP— ok, thanks everyone for the recommendations. I’ll try talking to her about it.

As for the question on fasting: She’s might feel like she needs to control her weight or how her body looks for ballet is my best guess.

Also, is a weight fluctuation of 106.2 to 112 in four days normal?
My problem with the sugar is that if she’s hungry she should be eating natural sugar or protein.

Please throw out the scale!! If she’s weighing that often that is a red flag. No scale!!

Plus 1. Weighing herself every day is a huge red flag. Why is she weighing herself daily. She is not on a diet and even
if she was on a diet they tell you to weigh yourself once a week. Throw away the scale in the house. Tell her it broke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here-- to specify the things I've noticed: DD will cut and count calories for a week or so, and then eat normally for awhile, weighs herself daily, and dances at least 2 hours a day. This has been going on for about a year and a half or so, and she's actually gained 13 pounds over that time. So she's at a healthy weight and height but seems to be flickering between healthy eating habits and "fasting." She does eat a TON of sugar imo, which I constantly bug her about. It's not like she doesn't eat because I see her eat.

I'm the "always worried about anorexia poster" from earlier.

My thoughts here:

age 14, 5'7" and 108 pounds = 15th%ile BMI for her age. Thin but not necessarily too thin if that has always been her normal.

I'd get ahold of her height and weight from past years going back to age 2 or 4 and just see to be sure.

- there's no need for a 14 year old child to be counting calories and weighing herself daily. That's a huge red flag. Especially as she is quite thin. It's not like she's overweight and everyone is telling her she needs to watch her weight, right? So why is she doing this?

- gained 13 pounds in 1.5 years -- that's good. She might have been expected to gain more though as those are peak growing and gaining years for girls.. ages 12-14.

- no reason for her to be fasting. Why would a 14 year old girl need to fast? What is her rationale for that?

-dancing is a sport where eating disorders are not unknown. I would keep a careful eye on her, get ahold of her past height and weight records from her doctor, and talk to her about why she is fasting and counting calories. Then I'd make an appointment with her pediatrician for a weight check and to discuss the things you mention here.

Red flags here. Throw away the scale.