My Family Think I Have an Eating Disorder: How Do I Tell?

Q.

I am 5ft tall and was ten and a half stone when I was overweight. I now weigh 7st 5lbs, I workout twice a day and never eat cakes, sweets, chocolates or anything in between meals. I won't eat after 8pm, I'm fine with this. I started my diet 7months ago - all my family and friends think I have an eating disorder? I'm a size 8 and feel fantastic - am I OK?

A.

At 5ft tall, 7st 5lbs gives you a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 21.9. BMIs between the ranges of 18.5 and 24.9 are considered of a normal weight range, so it would seem that you are in a healthy range for your height and weight. You have also described losing about 35 pounds in 7 months, or an average of 5 pounds per month. This is also in a healthy range. Finally, you described yourself as "overweight" when, at 5ft tall, you weighed 10.5 stone. At that time your BMI would have been 28.7 which would have indeed put you in the overweight range (BMIs between 25 and 29.9). All of this means that your descriptions of yourself and your weight do match accepted standards of what is healthy and what is less healthy. Given this, there is no reason to believe that you have distorted views of health, weight or dieting.

However, you do describe some strict rules for yourself regarding your eating and your working out. You also focus on describing what you do not eat without giving any information on what you do eat. Finally, you have also failed to describe other pertinent behaviours that might accompany your diet or exercise, such as if you ever binge, purge with vomiting or laxatives, or schedule your workouts so that they "burn off" all that you have just eaten. Without knowing this information there is no way to determine if you have an eating disorder or some form of disordered eating.

To put your own mind at rest, and to appease those who are worried about you, it is advised that you attend your GP for a general check-up. Explain your fears to him or her, and note that your family and friends are concerned about you. Discuss your average diet and your typical work out sessions. Also let him or her know that you feel great now, and discuss why. Let this medical professional offer you his or her opinion and further advice to protect your health.

In the meantime, concentrate on eating at least five fresh fruits and vegetables per day, drink at least eight glass of water and aim for eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. These guidelines are basic foundations of healthy living and should be an integral part of each and every day.

 Share on Facebook  Tweet This!  Stumble!  Digg It!