<p>Is she getting her period? If not, that is a warning sign.
I agree that she should go to student health services to rule out any medical or psychological cause. A series of the right questions will screen this easily.</p>
<p>Also be aware that “I eat breakfast” can mean, “I eat breakfast once every week or ten days.”</p>
<p>OP, my daughter had a brush with anorexia (fortunately minor) a few years ago, and I can think of at least 5 others her age with eating disorders in our small town. If your girl started as a size 1, lost 7 lbs, AND has a history of anxiety and depression, please go talk to her in person. Don’t “wait and see”. Why is she going to late night dining with friends and not eating anything? Why is she eating less at every meal? By telling you about the weight loss,she may be showing you a red flag to get you to intervene. It sounds like she needs the intervention whether she’s asking for it or not. Best of luck to her, and to you.</p>
<p>Now I’m really confused and don’t know what to do. One poster suggested that my D probably doesn’t have an eating disorder since she told me about the weight loss. Another suggested that I need to intervene since the mention of her weight loss could be a red flag.</p>
<p>She has not stopped having her period. In fact, she was alarmed when she had her period 2 weeks early which has never happened before. I told her not to worry about it.</p>
<p>She tends to keep her feelings to herself. I’ve seen her 3 times since school began in late August. She seems to be doing fine and making the adjustment to college life, but since I’m not there, I can’t be sure.</p>
<p>Talk to her some more. Is she concerned? If she is, is she willing to go get checked out at the health center? Is she resistant to suggestions that she should eat more?</p>
<p>umd, there is no harm in your daughter going to student health services. They will ask her a series of questions designed to screen for a number of medical or psychological issues that could cause weight loss. They will also assess her level of anxiety. Has she ever had her thyroid checked, for example? Abnormal thyroid hormone levels can cause anxiety, depression, weight loss, and changes in the menstrual cycle. I’m not saying this is what it is, but it is just one example of something that they would check.</p>
<p>
Uh, oh. Was it normal otherwise?</p>
<p>If she wants to stop the weight loss and gain weight, it’s reassuring. If she seems happy about losing weight, I’d worry. I have never heard of someone with an eating disorder pointing out her weight loss to her mother; anorexics typically hide the weight loss and also say “I’m eating well” rather than admitting missing snacks and meals. Eating disorders are frequent in college girls/freshmen but it doesn’t mean she has one. </p>
<p>OP, you are aware of the possibility of an eating disorder and can keep an eye out for further signs and symptoms [Eating</a> disorders: Symptoms - MayoClinic.com](<a href=“Eating disorders - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic”>Eating disorders - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic). </p>
<p>If you will worry, have her go to health services for a check-up. Or you could take the wait and see approach. You are only 30 minutes away so you could visit and see how she seems in a couple of weeks. Take her out for ice cream. If she has anorexia, she won’t be happy about that.</p>
<p>sylvan8798 – Yes, her periods were normal otherwise. I didn’t want her to get upset about it. If she continues to have an abnormally short cycle, we can certainly have it checked out.</p>
<p>I am borderline underweight but I have never suffered from an eating disorder; I just have a very fast metabolism. Once though, I went to camp and gained about 5 pounds in one week because the mealtime schedule was very different from what I am used to at home and I barely exercised.</p>
<p>It may just be a change in exercise, schedule, and diet (and by diet I mean what she eats on a daily basis)…</p>
<p>I was very skinny and still lost weight freshman fall. Actually, I lost weight both times I was running around a new campus (freshman fall and junior fall). I don’t think you have enough data yet to know if there’s cause for worry. Weight changes following a drastic lifestyle change are extremely common.</p>