Urk. I fear there may be a teen with an eating disorder staying with us this week and I am at a loss as how to react!

[Tigana]

17yo SIL and friend staying.
PILs have previously mentioned worries about the friend who has lost a lot of weight quite quickly and apparently even SIL says she doesn't eat really.

Yesterday she ate half a baguette and about 2 small slices of cheese and tom pizza.

We went to supermarket to stock up for them. She went looking for rice cakes, came back with box of Special K.

DH will carry on preparing usual type and ammount of food for all.
I fear she will leave lots.

There is nothing I can do in the space of 4 days is there? I should just pretend all is ok??

bump?

I think i would just offer her the same amount as evry one else, if she leaves it she leaves it, maybe ask her how much she would like on her plate, theres nothing worse than having a plate full of food and not wanting to eat it.

I would'nt worry she's only with you for 4 days.

I suffered i stopped eating when i did eat i was sick promptly afterwards, no one noticed, i did this for weight reasons and things that happened in the past, you could talk to her, as if i had had someone talk to me it would of changed things, i noticed when my step sister stated going toilet as soon as she had eaten an told my mom asa.

People with EDs often hide how much they don't eat and often disappear off to the loo quickly after a meal. If you take a long time over meals and she's been eating, if she doesn't get up to be sick she may start getting quite restless. I used to notice that people with bulimia were often quite jumpy and flaky and unable to concentrate on anything or anyone for very long. The EDA website may have some helpful advice on how to cope.

A lot of people with eating problems don't think anyone else notices and a lot of the time they are right. I really don't know what to suggest I'm afraid. It's hard knowing, but not knowing quite what to expect.

this should be the Eating Disorders Association carers page