Is this the start of something?

[Rosebud2005]

Hi, i can’t be sure yet but I’m getting concerned about my 15 year old son who has recently been getting support for feeling down etc. During lockdown like I lot of us he has put on weight but to us he’s not that bad, He he told me he gets himself, his body, his weight, he has no confidence among people, socially, with family or at school. I try to cook reasonably healthy meals for us all, he can be very picky so I try and get the thinking’s I to him I know he likes. He made himself a planner last week for exercise, diet, some other things. He doesn’t eat breakfast ever, buys noodles s at school and it’s literally only my dinners at night he eats. He let slip last week he’s watching his calories. I do slimming world and make food according to that which is suitable for us all but he’s insisting he wants to count his calories and says he needs 1500 a day to lose weight! Any advice would be great xx

he has put on weight but to us he’s not that bad

But you are used to seeing him. He could actually be quite over weight. If you are needing to do slimming world then, apologies if I’m wrong, I assume you are over weight so that could also be why he may not seem that bad to you. Him educating himself about calories and portion control isn’t a bad idea and doesn’t automatically mean the start of an ED.
Have you worked out his BMI? There is one for child that you put date of birth in so it’s suitable to work his out. I know people fall over themselves to tell everyone that BMI isn’t good/accurate/ doesn’t work but BMI isn’t an indication of how people look in their bikini, it’s a health risk indicator, and works for the average person so it will give you an idea of if he is in a healthy weight or not.

www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator/

@Everythingiswonderful One can still be within a healthy weight zone and have an ED. I know because my daughter is in this situation and has been hospitalised twice because of rapid starvation events. BMI would not reveal a host of eating related health problems.

@Rosebud2005 - we have a teen eating disorder thread, please do join us if it would help talk to about emergence/progression of restricted eating which can lead to an ED. Your DS may or may not have an ED but disordered eating patterns are not healthy in young people. We don't profess to be experts but we have some insight into behaviours to keep an eye on.

Here you go OP www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eating_disorders/4168981-Teen-Eating-Issues-Disorders-Support-Thread-2

Ok thanks I will do that

@Everythingiswonderful

Hi yes I do need to lose weight myself. We probably could do with a bit, he was weighed during an appointment and is about two stone over the average for his age and weight. Nobody said he needs to lose weight, only him and I want to do the right thing by him to help him feel good about himself. Calorie counting is obviously a good thing to know but I just wouldn’t like him overdoing it. He sees someone about hurting his arm and does suffer from quite a lot of anxiety so I’m mindful that even how we see him he doesn’t, so we don’t want him thinking we’re not listening to what he’s telling us. Thanks x