Posted one month ago
Hello All, I'm new to this forum. I'm a Befriender with EDA, but am suddenly confronting a potential eating disorder in my own son. He's 14 years old, and at the end of his primary education, was considered overweight by the visiting NHS nurse. For the first couple of years at secondary school, he's been fine, and has had a growth spurt, so he's now tall and slim. Over the past year, he's decided to dispense with the idea of breakfast before he goes to school, and just has a glass of milk, saying he's too sleepy in the mornings. Our GP said this was OK. However. for about the last month, he's been returning his packed lunch uneaten, too, or with only a few mouthfuls eaten, saying he wasn't hungry or didn't have time to eat it. He usually eats a meal plus pudding in the evenings, but whereas previously he used to eat loads, now he just has a small pudding, saying he feels full. He doesn't seem depressed, anxious or withdrawn, and is very 'laid back' about school work, homework, exams, etc, so it doesn't seem as if he's upset about anything. I'm trying to 'nip this in the bud' before it develops further, but he's noticed that I'm trying to tempt his appetite, and is suspicious.
However, one positive thing is that during this weekend, which is the first weekend of his half term holiday, he's eaten quite a bit more.
I'll be really grateful for any advice or sharing of experiences, please.
Thanks so much.