Eating disorder
November 4, 2010 | 20,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Ralf Berg
Hello,
I am reaching out this way because I am not sure who to turn to. It is about a friend of mine who is 28 years old. I notice that she is getting thinner and eating almost nothing. Since I do not see her every day, I cannot exactly assess how many calories she consumes during the day. When I address it with her, she always says that everything is fine, she just wants to lose weight and does not need any help. So I cannot reach her. At what point is one actually suffering from anorexia? She told me yesterday that she has lost 10kg in the last 2 months and wants to lose more, even though she already looks thin. Who can I turn to without damaging our friendship? Her family doctor?
About 2 weeks ago, she also had a fainting spell; I had to support her as she felt dizzy in the city. She also goes jogging almost daily and I am really afraid that something will happen to her or that she will faint. She currently does not accept any help, I have tried to talk to her several times. What can I do? I would appreciate a response. Thank you.
Dear inquirer,
the first question, when one speaks of anorexia, is easy to answer, the second, what you can do or how to approach your girlfriend, is difficult.
When the body mass index, which is the ratio of height to weight, falls below 20, it is considered underweight.
As for the second question, I can only advise you to try to talk to her directly about it repeatedly. Perhaps there is also a good friend, or the parents, who should be involved. I would advise you to always announce this to her beforehand.
If it is bulimia/anorexia, it is always very difficult to maintain contact or talk to the affected person about it. This disease has a psychological cause rather than an organic one. Perhaps, if there is a moment of weakness, you could take the opportunity to arrange for her to be taken to a doctor or hospital.
For now, I would suggest proposing to her that, for example, she should ask the family doctor about what weight is still normal for her height (so BMI is maximum 20). Perhaps this could be a starting point to bring up this sensitive topic.
Good luck, I wish you all the best in your efforts to help her.
R. C. Berg
