Do any teens really eat this much?

[stonkytonk11]

Having some concerns re my 14 year old dd because I don't think she is eating enough. When I check nhs website it said that teens should be eating about 2,300 calories per day. Do other teens get to that day to day? My dd is reaching about half that (hence the concern)

The portions are okay, same as I eat in terms of the spaghetti etc it's just when I add it all up it doesn't come to much. I'm worried because it doesn't feel right...her favourite crisps are sitting untouched and her Easter eggs have had bits out of them but would've been gone by now usually.

What made you decide to add up the calorie intake of a teen who is eating normal portions of food?

Because I noticed that she wasn't eating the things she usually does (chocolate/crisps etc) and because she appears to have lost weight

You are absolutely right to be concerned op. A very slim teen talking about wanting to be thin and leaving her favourite foods untouched definitely needs to be kept an eye on.

I'd check what she's looking at on her phone. I'm been in tears at what I've seen on tiktok. Young girls showing off their obviously underwight bodies with hundreds of likes and comments about how amazing they look. Our teens are seeing this stuff and if they have a little bit of self doubt about their body it can really affect them.

We all have to be vigilant and keep an eye on the young people in our lives. An Eating Disorder is a hideous mental illness and once ingrained it can take years to recover from. It also goes hand in hand with anxiety, depression, self harm and suicide.

Op, I do hope it's just a phase and with some chat about what she needs to eat to be healthy she'll be fine, but absolutely keep a very close eye on her food intake and what she may be seeing online.

@BagpussSaggyOldClothCat I totally agree with you. I'm not sure how I'd get access to what's on her phone, don't think she'd be very keen for me to do that.

But I agree, the things they have access to online is scary

I have a very sporty ds who ears that much only on his growth spurts. My dd is very careful with what she eats althoughstopping ballet has certainly helped and an emphasis on eating healthy. She too is very sporty

I have a very tall (5'11) 14 year old DD, sounds similar to what you describe. She does some sports but is otherwise a bit lazy. She is very slim. Afaik she is happy. It also seems to me that she eats small portions (unless it's sweets or chocolate), and is just not super interested in food. Contrast to my 16 year old DS who is 6'4, who eats constantly, I really mean constantly. I offer her more and different stuff and feel like she's OK, I also don't want to push her on eating issues in case it causes her to get sensitive about it. The portions and amounts you describe are a very close fit to what my DD eats. Meanwhile perimenopausal me is wolfing it down which also maybe influences my perception.

btw I completely share your concerns about social media etc. I really hate it but don't know how to stop it, she has screen time of 1.5 hours per day for all social media apps, and try to set a positive example, get her out and about as much as possible, but I still see it as so pervasive and harmful.