I am 14. For the last year and a half, I have really cut down on my diet. I was originally 120 pounds at 5 feet 3 inches, and now I am 92 pounds at 5 feet 3.5 inches. My parents and family members keep telling me that it looks like I am suffering from an eating disorder, but I don't think so. I don't feel or look thin to myself at all! Do I have a problem? What should I weigh, being medium-boned, 5 feet 3.5 inches, and 14 years old? I'm confused.

--Jen

Your statement "I don't feel or look thin to myself at all" is a dead giveaway that you DO have an eating disorder. Your body image is very distorted! I think you do have a problem, a serious problem for which you and your family need to seek professional help. You need counseling by a therapist who is well versed in treating eating disorders. A family doctor or pediatrician may be a good starting point, or if your community is large enough, there may be eating disorder programs available nearby.

Certainly no young person should be dieting unless she is obese and has been put on a diet by a doctor! You need calories to grow and to go through puberty. Restricting calories and thereby not getting appropriate nutrients at this point in your life places you at risk for irregular periods and later reproductive difficulties, osteoporosis and subsequent bone fractures, and risks to the heart, kidneys and liver that accompany anorexia nervosa.

Your family is right -- you have a problem. Recognizing that and seeking help are the first steps you need to take on the road to recovery.