8 year old will not eat

[Ldean22]

My step-daughter is 8 yrs old and refuses to eat.  This started all of a sudden a year ago.  She used to eat almost everything and then suddenly she stopped.  She dropped 10lbs in a month.  She used to eat normal kid stuff and willingly try new foods and now she struggles to eat pizza.  It seems very stressful to her.  When she takes a bite she will chew it until there is nothing left (afraid to swallow?) she has spit food in the toilet, napkin, etc.  She will scream and cry.  It's like she's afraid to eat and will come up with a million excuses not to eat. She has complained about not liking saliva in her mouth.  She will take over an hour to eat one slice of pizza, a serving of mac and cheese.  She gets to choose her lunch at school and she always chooses pizza but never finishes it.  We have tried bribary, taking things away but she does not care.  She has lost energy and is very thin. We think this is more than being stubborn or a power trip.  Please tell me if we are being paranoid or if this is a sort of eating disorder and what kind of doctor should she see?  We are so worried!

[Shyli]

My son is 8 as well, he has been through quite a lot in his life.. thus far. I have considered therapy for him but have no car, no bus where we live, no money for a taxi, and no way to get him to it (therapist)... He does not like food most of the time and complains about pain just before he eats to get out of eating... at all! I am very worried... but, I use to be a child like this as well...and I grew up fine and have taken in a lot of food without any problems... My child has been molested, seen me beating all by family members (all siblings) and a fake ex who drugged me on a daily basis so I couldn't function enough to protect my son from him, he almost killed me five times (but we at the time had no way of leaving and no where to go, because both sister and sister in law wanting bad things to happen to me and my son because of their jealousy(so they wouldn't be helpful) and they guarded the only two places we knew where to really go) with my 4 year old (at the time) was just using me to molest my son and be around my sister who gain the trust of everyone in my family over me with the help of my sister, so no one would help me or believe me enough to help, had to deal with homelessness and us trusting complete strangers because we could no longer take the abuse from my siblings, ... now we are stuck with the end results of what they all cause this molester was a ex husband of my sister's best friend (because of this I believe it was a set up by my sister a childish way of "getting me back" so to speak, she has always maintain a childish jealousness attitude towards me (and her taking drugs made it worst) and felt I ruin her life somehow...I can not be the blame for her actions) My sister is the type that is very materialistic. Puts material goods over common sense values, she allow drug sellers and molesters to take her baby from her because they had more money than our parents... her daughter has been molested, beaten, raped, did drugs because of her "so called father" she's drunk liquor, and everything else a person is not suppose to endure or even have a chance of experiencing under the appropriate age (for self explanatory experimentation). Her daughter is now pregnant at 15 years old, as her mother was when she was her age with her. The plot thickens even deeper... but I care not to recall as all it is... is horrible memories for my and my son. I can understand his not wanting to eat and I was a pretty mean mother in the past whiles going through my own abuse with him (I beg/plead for forgiveness of that and realize my mistakes in parenting) I have been neglectful to a certain extent (not to bad) except when I was being drugged by the fake ex...When me and my son were alone I notice a surmountable degree of inner peace my son ate extremely well in the past before my siblings came into the picture and after we got rid of them for the second time now the is the last time still dealing with my mother who is a direct connection to them plus they all know where we live... I feel that getting away from my mother who is the only one left will be the only way he can be able to grow up healthy and strong...but I don't just want to abandoned my mother she is a little 64 year old Filipino lady with a bad case of osteoarthritis in her legs, she wants toi live on her own but I worry about her as she has lost her sense of smell and is becoming very forgetful...she usually means well but goes through her mood swings because of uncontrolled menopause...she want a job very badly but no one will hire her.She is a great worker and she can hold jobs for long periods at a time (to the point her workplace becomes her second home). I do not know what to do we have no friends and no help because of my issues no one understands it is hard for me to get and maintain a job myself I have tried everything but no luck and no where to turn to....I am out of ideas and will take anyones great suggestions of how to help me and my son ...I just want him to be healthy once again, it made/makes me so happy to see him happy, healthy and smiling with no pain. Please help us anyway you can....I know he will eat well, with a way to a brighter day ...    

[Renee Radenberg]

Has something in her life changed suddenly which may have affected her appetite? Her weight is between the 25-10th percentile and her height is just below the 5th percentile for her age. Try nutrient dense drinks 1-2 a day, either purchase them, such as Ensure or Boost, or make your own milkshakes - milk, ice cream, and frozen fruit blended together or yogurt smoothies - yogurt, milk, and frozen fruit blended together for additional calories, protein and nutrients to help increase her weight. Relax at meal times and let her eat what she wants. Additional information in the Child Behavior Forum may help you. Hoped this helped you.