The Start of an Eating Disorder or Not

So I get this voice-mail from my 14 year olds teacher today stating concerns about lunch. She wasn’t very clear.

At dinner we have a discussion about what the teacher could mean. What she was packing for lunch etc….. Come to find out she isn’t eating. I have noticed the last few months that she has been more conscious about what she is eating and that she had started to exercise more and doing alot of walking. I chalked it up to her starting back to public school this year and her new found interest in BOYS.

It really hadn’t dawned on me until it was pointed out by an outsider that this could be the start of a problem. She has literally stopped eating.  When she does eat it’s less than a cup.

We discussed this at dinner tonight after her eating like 3 tater tots and a corn dog for dinner. I explained to her that if she was concerned about her weight I would be more conscious when buying things for her lunches like veggies and salads. But we needed to work together so that she didn’t end up making herself sick. we talked about the different eating disorders and the health problems that follow.

I know she is at that age and high school is next year but how do you explain to a 14 year old that is absolutely beautiful that she is? That it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks about her and wipe out the preconceived notions that you need to be “THIN” to be beautiful. She was in tears tonight because she thought she was in trouble.

She goes for her school physical on the 18th. Is this a concern that I should bring up with the doctor? My husband was asking if it could be a side affect from the birth control (loss of appetite)?  Is there anyone else having these issues with their teenage girls. I’m at a loss here. She says no one has said anything to her just that she is choosing not to eat that she didn’t “want to”.

I told her about my childhood as a chubby child. I know that people can be cruel but I have developed the attitude that if you don’t like the way I look you don’t have to look at me. I am still over weight as an adult and you here the comments and see the looks.

My 11 year old is severely over weight and it seems like the more I try to curb what she eats she sneaks food and ends up eating more. Any help here would be appreciated.