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Dr. M is the author of five advice books for tweens and teens. Her latest is Where Should I Sit at Lunch? The Ultimate 24/7 Guide to Surviving the High School Years. She enjoys dancing, reading, working out and talking with young people about the issues that concern them. She holds a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology.
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Liz, a first-year college student, is the co-author of three books: Ask Dr. M and Liz; Getting to Know the Real You: 50 Fun Quizzes Just for Girls, and Girls: What's So Bad About Being Good? She loves to dance, paint, make collages, hang out with friends and, of course, give advice.
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Dear Dr. M & Liz,
I hope you can help me because I'm afraid to talk to my mom about this. I wanted to start being healthy so I did, but I lost a lot of weight. I have about a 16.8 bmi, but I want to get it lower. I exercise a lot and you can see all my ribs now. I don't know what's wrong! I don't have an eating disorder, because I eat, but I don't know. What should I do?
—Tiffa, 17, Colorado
Dear Tiffa,
You might have started losing weight to become healthier, but it seems that you've become too obsessed with being thin. You seem to understand that wanting your body mass index to be lower than 16.8, which is already in the underweight category for your age, is a problem. While you might be eating more than someone with anorexia, you may be exercising compulsively, more than is healthy. You may feel uncomfortable talking with your mom, but you probably need her to help you find a way to a healthier combination of eating, physical activity, and body image. It's time for you to see a doctor, too, who can tell you what a good weight for you would be and to help you achieve that weight, which may well mean gaining some of your lost weight back.
—Dr. M
Dear Tiffa,
Even though your eating habits might not be classified as anorexic since you say you eat. I think you may still have some kind of eating disorder. I understand wanting to lose weight in order to be healthy, but it sounds like you're too skinny. The best thing to do is talk to a professional about your eating and exercising habits so she can help you.
—Liz
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