Page 137 - The Intentional Parent

other child behavior specialist. Whatever you do, don't ignore this behavior or treat it lightly.
ANOREXIA
We have a twelve-year-old daughter who is very thin, always complains that she doesn't look right, and literally never eats. She says that the smell of food makes her sick. She is much thinner than any of her friends, but her friends all compliment her on the way she looks and how skinny she is. We know she has a problem, but we don't know what to do.
The first thing you need to do is make an appointment to see your pediatrician. Your daughter's life may be in danger. When a child has a distorted image of her body, and when she is repulsed by food or refuses to eat, there is a strong chance that she is suffering from anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder that affects mostly females (although it can also affect males) in their early teens to late twenties. It is very serious. Family counseling is almost always necessary, and it is commonly believed that many anorexics grow up in families where control issues are a dominant theme.
Frequently, hospitalization is needed to restore nutrition back to a point where the child's life is no longer threatened. Parents are often so frightened by the prospect of their child being anorexic that they are immobilized by their fears and concerns and, as a result, do nothing. If you suspect that your child has anorexia, please seek help immediately.
The Intentional Parent by Peter J. Favaro, Ph.D. 137