In other words, she is 77% of the weight she should be for her age and height.
I have not yet found an actual chart on which I can check the measurements myself so working backwards, her ideal weight is 100/77 x current weight = 47kg.
Hmmm... Waif and I are aiming at 42-44kg. That represents about 90% of a "normal" weight for her age and height, and is well above the 85% danger cut-off.
40kg is her 85% level. This is the level above which she would not be automatically diagnosed as having an ED. Funnily enough, my initial instinct to tell her that if she fell below 38kg then I would be taking her to the doctor, was about right, especially as she may have been 1 cm shorter in the late Spring.
OR.. they could have meant that she is 77% of the 'normal' BMI for a child of her age. (The BMI being no more than another way of relating height and weight. For children you then need to take account of age as well, as you know).
ReplyDeleteDid you get an email address for Maudsley to ask any ques? they wd tell you.
Here you can work out what weight she wd need to be to reach 85% of the normal BMI
http://kidshealth.org/parent/food/weight/bmi_charts.html
hey, ive been reading your blog, and im sorry you and your daughter have to go through this. I'm 17 and I suffer from an eating disorder, and my mum had to go through the same thing.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to tell you what to do or anything, but I just want to warn you that you cannot trust this eating disorder. you can trust your daughter but at the moment she is being controlled. She'll lie and hide it because the eating disorder tells her to. that dissatisfaction when she saw her weight on the scale, that was the disorder too.
I know it's hard, I can imagine.. but you have to persist with her. You have to MAKE SURE she is eating. you can't trust what she says. I used to take food to my room and throw it in the bin, in the toilet, pour it down the sink...exercise during school and not tell my parents, purge in the shower... its a secret disease.
i hope i'm not coming across as harsh, i don't mean to be at all, and i dont want to freak you out or make you paranoid... i just want to give you some guidance to help. i can see that you are torn between motherly instincts to stop your daughter from hurting, and your instincts to help her survive. just remember she is in a trance and this isn't her talking and screaming.
she may seem like she hates you now, but in the long run, it'll be worth it. i am so greatful my mum forced me to recovery, even though i despised her at the time.
take care, and good luck on your journey..
i hope the best for you and your daughter.
Love, Katie.
xoxo
Katie, thank you so much. Your comment is extraordinarily kind and moving. I am so glad that you are now better and that your mother helped you with that process. Your message has given me true pause for thought and I am being more careful to monitor what Waif really eats.
ReplyDelete