Do I have anorexia ?

[aaanski]

Im 14 years old girl. My hobbies are dancing and riding. Im 151 cm & 55 kg. I think that Im fat and I have started to go running everyday. I hardly eat anything in school, I only drik a glass of water and at home I maybe eat an fruit or some cereal, literally, I starve myself to be skinny. I want to be atleast 48 kg. I really want to be skinny and have a flat stomach and not to be afraid to say my weight. Do I have anorexia?

[ugly16]

I also want to lose my wight just like you and try to be skinny. I also want to get thin legs, flat abs, beautiful arms! But I can't diet. Even I am too lazy to take exercise. God knows, how I will be able to lose weight!

[Patricia Pitts, PhD]

Hi. I really appreciate you sharing your struggle with me. The fact that you are restricting your food intake and struggling with thoughts of being fat and “starving” yourself in order to be skinny are reasons for concern. I would not venture to diagnose you without seeing you for a comprehensive eating disorder evaluation. There are many other factors that go into understanding whether a person has an eating disorder or not. You could seek out an eating disorder specialist in your area and have an evaluation. Have you opened up to anyone about this – perhaps someone in your family or a school counselor? I would encourage you to talk to someone you trust in order to begin to get the support that you need. In addition, to learn more about eating disorders and to take an eating disorder survey, you could visit the bella vita website. Wishing you the best, Patricia Pitts, PhD The Bella Vita Los Angeles, CA