How do I convince my friends/family I'm not anorexic?

Question

My family and friends are always telling me I don't eat enough, I'm too thin, I need to eat, etc. I am recovering from anorexia but for the most part it is under control. Technically I'm at a healthy weight (5'4, 105) for my frame, and I'm sick of people telling me I need to put on weight. I also know they talk about it amongst themselves, and my husband says our friends ask him if I'm "alright." How would you handle this? It's really getting annoying.

Answer 1

Honey, I have been there. I was anorexic as a teenager and a few times I started falling back into it without even realising it. If they are concerned their may be good reason for it and maybe you just don't want to admit that it is starting again. Go to a doctor tell him what is going on and have them keep track of your weight and if nothing is wrong than you can show your family that you are doing good for yourself. FYI when I look at the pictures now of how I looked then I am ashamed of it because I thought at the time that I was looking better, but I looked like I was dead.

Answer 2

Actually there is a easy way to handle this without saying anything to them.Change the way you eat.Hear me out here!
You see, doctors are telling people all the time they should eat less more often in a day.I think if you eat 6 small meals in a day you end up metabolizing your food better and in turn will get the best from your food.You wont gain more weight but you will maintain it all better.
Now, In turn by doing this,the people around you (friends,family,etc.) will see you eating more often and regardless if you look skinny will have alot less reaction of your thin figure because when they see you most times you are nibbling on something, so in turn cant give you any crap for not eating.Right?? Try it out I bet by doing so you will receive more praise for your eating actions and less negative thoughts by them all.And, In turn you will stay like you are in weight and still stay healthy.
Try it, I think you will like it cause you wont ever feel full and also never feel hungry. It will take sometime to adjust portions but in time you will get that down too.
Good luck!

Answer 3

105 sounds pretty light. If the doctor says it fine, then I guess it is. But you really have to sit down and ask yourself, it's it really a healthy weight or a model weight? I have a cousin who anorexia and she is 5"7 and 110 and she keep telling people that a healthy weight.... Her doctor said she shouldn't be under 125 and he would prefer if she was 135. She keeps fighting that it's too heavy and the doctor doesn't under stand she is a small frame.
So she just keep switching doctors until she got one that said her weight is OK. I am 5'4 and I think the lightest the chart said is 110-115 so I would agree with your family your to light. When I was 120, I was starving myself after my grandfather died. The doctors told me I was to think and I was getting sick all the time. My target weight was to get up to 135 which is a healthy weight for me.

Answer 4

hmmmm...i mean, i dont know how you actually eat (i have anorexia), so i dunno how to answer this. lots of anorexic people are in denial at first, i know i was. obviously, if you werent already having issues with eating food, your friends wouldnt be so concerned. youre lucky! my friends suck and they didnt even know i'd lost about 50 lbs. they didnt care about me at all. you have some good friends right there ^^ be thankful! if you ARENT anorexic, i dont know why your friends would be all concerned about you. are you doing this for your religion or culture? its not for health, because fasting is really bad for your body. it doesnt cleanse your system if that's what youre thinking. you seem to be showing signs of an anorexic. "im a pretty healthy person" "i dont care about their opinions" and just the question "i was wondering what i could tell my friends at lunch so they wont harass me" maybe sit back and think, why am i doing this 2-week fast? if you cant come up with a reason except "i want to be healthier" then know that starving only makes your body go into survival mode. it stresses your system. religion/culture is one thing....but you didnt say anything about that so i think you need to think about your body and see that maybe you do have an eating disorder

Answer 5

I have sort of the same problem, and I'm only 13!! Well, what I would say is that you are tired of them thinking your anorexic. They shouldn't worry about it!! You might of had some problems with your weight in the past, but that's all done and over with. They should just accept the fact that you are getting better, and you don't need them constantly telling you to gain weight.

Answer 6

well i know exactly how you feel. Although none of my friends have suspicion of me being anorexic, (I eat ALL the time, and never the healthy stuff) and I have the exact height/weight as you do. They all want me to gain a little weight, and I think I do look a little better at about 115, but what can I do about it, I can't gain weight, so what do they want me to do!? But in your situation since you already have history of eating disorders, you just need to let them know that you're over it, and you eat when you're hungry, and it's not your fault if you're metabolism's too high to gain any extra pounds.........

hope I helped, good luck!

Answer 7

Put on another 5 pounds. I know anorexia is not about how others perceive you, but how you perceive yourself. You can't see it, but they can. I used to battle with anorexia myself, and now looking back at pictures, I see what other people saw. I would put on another 5 pounds if I were you just so you appear healthier. If they keep talking, tell them your doctor is happy with your current weight and so are you. And maybe you could throw in that it wouldn't hurt if so and so put on a few pounds or dropped a few pounds. See how they like it.

Answer 8

You are a little too thin. To gain weight eat bananas and ice cream as well as the regular types of food. I think you should gain about 10 pounds.

Answer 9

Well tell them you are at a healthy frame,and that you do eat,and you aren't starving yourself. You don't need to prove yourself to others,if you know you're getting healthier then you were.
You should also tell them,by putting un-needed pressure on you,they could in a sense,make you reverse back into an eating disorder.

Answer 10

Unfortunatly with you being a recovering anorexic Your family is going to be very scared you may start up old habbits again. Just sit down and talk to them tell them how you feel. Congrats on controlling the disease. I know it must be very hard to do.