eating disorders

I believe the accepted minimum for regular menstruation is 12%, not 24.

Although recommendations are to be at at least 18% when trying to conceive.

I am going to agree here. 24% is on the higher end. 12-14% for healthy menstration. 26% body fat is overweight. Not sure about your training. I would double check those numbers.

OK, this whole eating disorder thing. I'm not sure why I'm bothering to type this because I know it'll upset me and I know it'll probably be either ignored/misconstrued.

- You don't need to be skinny to have anorexia. You can still have anorexia without being within the category, it's just not formally diagnosed in some cases. In fact, I know a girl who was over 200lbs who had anorexia, and ended up being 140lbs at 5ft 11. She existed on 300 calories a day and exercised for three hours. Her BMI, in which case, would be 19.2 - clinically healthy. Was she healthy? No, she was desperately ill, lost her periods and could barely function.

- Disordered eating comes in all forms - overeating, binging/purging, restrictive eating. An eating disorder, in my eyes, shouldn't be classified as a set of weights but rather a set of behaviour. If someone is binging on 3000 calories a day and purging four times - that's bulimia. I don't give a toss whether that person is 100lbs or 200lbs. It's an eating disorder.

- We are all DIFFERENT. If I weighed 120lbs, my lowest weight within my BMI scale, I would look skeletal. Another girl of my weight and height would look different. And another, different still. We can all shove ourselves in these categories of body fat, BMI, calorie counts but at the end of the day, we have to do what works for us - and when I say work for us, I mean in a HEALTHY and RESPONSIBLE way.

- Eating disorders on MFP. They exist. They always will - it's a free website/app that allows people to track their calories on the move. When I had disordered eating in my teens, this website would have been perfectly destructive for me. I have had friend requests from people who insist on eating under 1000 calories NET a day and boast about their exploits - skipping meals and eating chocolate bars, then complaining of no losses. I'm not going to judge them - I've been there and seen it all. I've done what they are doing. I try and help best I can, but ultimately, the decision is individual. If you want to starve yourself for maximum results (even though you really end up with minimal) - I can't stop you - you'll do it anyway until it doesn't work.

(My periods stopped in my teens at a body fat of around 25% and weight of 10 stone, which is near maximum for my height)

If a person's BMI is above 17.5 they're not anorexic. They can have EDNOS though. But someone can still have a BMI below 17.5 and not be anorexic.

I have a pretty low bodyfat % (but not ultra low, as I prefer it not to be too low). And I eat around 2000+ calories a day (usually in the range of what is recommended for an athlete that trains two times a day at my size). Perhaps a lot of people on here under-eat, but not everyone does. Although I eat in order to maintain and to prevent weight loss (I don't want to lose weight).

This is a really interesting thread :flowerforyou:

Missybct I agree with everything you say !!!


OK, this whole eating disorder thing. I'm not sure why I'm bothering to type this because I know it'll upset me and I know it'll probably be either ignored/misconstrued.

- You don't need to be skinny to have anorexia. You can still have anorexia without being within the category, it's just not formally diagnosed in some cases. In fact, I know a girl who was over 200lbs who had anorexia, and ended up being 140lbs at 5ft 11. She existed on 300 calories a day and exercised for three hours. Her BMI, in which case, would be 19.2 - clinically healthy. Was she healthy? No, she was desperately ill, lost her periods and could barely function.

- Disordered eating comes in all forms - overeating, binging/purging, restrictive eating. An eating disorder, in my eyes, shouldn't be classified as a set of weights but rather a set of behaviour. If someone is binging on 3000 calories a day and purging four times - that's bulimia. I don't give a toss whether that person is 100lbs or 200lbs. It's an eating disorder.

- We are all DIFFERENT. If I weighed 120lbs, my lowest weight within my BMI scale, I would look skeletal. Another girl of my weight and height would look different. And another, different still. We can all shove ourselves in these categories of body fat, BMI, calorie counts but at the end of the day, we have to do what works for us - and when I say work for us, I mean in a HEALTHY and RESPONSIBLE way.

- Eating disorders on MFP. They exist. They always will - it's a free website/app that allows people to track their calories on the move. When I had disordered eating in my teens, this website would have been perfectly destructive for me. I have had friend requests from people who insist on eating under 1000 calories NET a day and boast about their exploits - skipping meals and eating chocolate bars, then complaining of no losses. I'm not going to judge them - I've been there and seen it all. I've done what they are doing. I try and help best I can, but ultimately, the decision is individual. If you want to starve yourself for maximum results (even though you really end up with minimal) - I can't stop you - you'll do it anyway until it doesn't work.

(My periods stopped in my teens at a body fat of around 25% and weight of 10 stone, which is near maximum for my height)

Its such a danger because it is a mental disorder! You can be considered medically over weight and still die as a result of an eating disorder!

My BMI is 20 something with is normal if I were to relapse I wouldnt be able to seek help on the NHS becuase I'm not under weight!

not true at all. You can get help through the NHS no matter your weight.

Its such a danger because it is a mental disorder! You can be considered medically over weight and still die as a result of an eating disorder!

My BMI is 20 something with is normal if I were to relapse I wouldnt be able to seek help on the NHS becuase I'm not under weight!

not true at all. You can get help through the NHS no matter your weight.

The help that is available is VERY limited to those that do not fall within the clinical classification, BMI. You may get a few appointments with a specialist but very little else.

As far as I'm concerned, the sooner this "BMI" diagnosis for anorexia is abolished, the better. When you think of someone who is anorexic, you think of someone desperately thin and refusing food. The reality is that, as well as many, many other people who do not present the "typical" characteristics of someone you'd assume was anorexic. It works both ways - someone naturally thin could be desperately trying to put weight ON. So, in reality, it's just a set of parameters designed to classify something that is really, a mental disorder and the physical illness comes as a consequence.

Personally, because my BMI was in the "normal" category, despite the fact my periods stopped, my hair fell out and grew on my back to keep me warm, I was constantly cold, my bones jutted out and I was eating 300 calories a day. I was referred to a specialist who told me what to eat (which I already knew) and when to eat (likewise) - and that was that. My "disorder" was never addressed because, guess what, I wasn't in the BMI parameters.

A year later, I was so ill I had to virtually quit school. Sleeping constantly, too sick to eat, blood tests done and nothing was wrong apart from the fact I had completely wrecked my body through ANOREXIA. Or disordered eating. Had I received the help that is available to those who are diagnosed with ANOREXIA based on BMI, I may not have the fertility problems I have now. I may not have the absolutely ****e metabolism I have now. I may not have an incredibly unhealthy relationship with food that led me to nearly 300lbs in weight.

All because, clinically - I wasn't anorexic. I can assure you that in my mind, in my behaviour, in my illness - I was anorexic. I never intended to be, and was desperate NOT to be.

Again, this would be EDNOS.