have a friend that's borderline anorexic

mamacremers

Hi. I have a friend that's borderline anorexic and i'm pretty sure she's not even getting 1200 calories a day. I've been trying to get her to eat at least that much and also helping her learn more about nutrition. If she does eat that much, is she going to gain weight because she wasn't getting enough in the first place? What is going to happen? Is there anything more I should do to help her. She has a VERY SKEWED vision of the calories she takes in and what she most likely burns, just by existing.

ladyhawk00

It's entirely possible (and would be normal) for her to gain a little if she increases intake. It depends somewhat on how thin she is, how much she has in fat stores, and what the state of her metabolism is.

Might help for you (and maybe her) to read these threads that discuss metabolism, so you can give her info on what to expect. Good luck with it.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/175241-a-personal-view-on-exercise-cals-and-underfeeding

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/208407-how-to-repair-a-damaged-metabolism-stavation-mode?page=1#posts-2752820