i would like to respond to your post sarah116. im not sure if you've ever been anorexic or bulimic, and i'm not going to ask, but i have been. for the past 11 years i have struggled on and off with eating disorders. one thing i would like to point out, is this.....just because she might not be making herself throw up or over exercising, doesn't mean that she might not have anorexia. when i first became anorexic, i didn't make myself vomit, nor did it cross my mind to exercise to excess to lose weight faster. i just simply stopped eating. was i anorexic? yes. but just because i didnt make myself sick or exercise to excess, didnt mean i still didnt have anorexia. not everyone who is anorexic, purges or exercises excessively. Take a look at something that I'm fixing to place within this post.

Signs and Symptoms

Noticeable weight loss
Becoming withdrawn
Excessive exercise
Fatigue
Always being cold
Muscle weakness
Obsession with food, calories, recipes
Excuses for not eating meals (ie. ate earlier, not feeling well)
Unusual eating habits (ie. cutting food into tiny pieces, picking at food)
Noticeable discomfort around food
Complaining of being "too fat", even when thin
Cooking for others, but not eating themselves
Restricting food choices to only diet foods
Guilt or shame about eating
Depression, irritability, mood swings
Evidence of vomiting, laxative abuse, diet pills or diuretics to control weight
Irregular menstruation
Amenorrhea(loss of menstruation)
Wearing baggy clothes to hide weight loss
Frequently checking weight on scale
Fainting spells and dizziness
Difficulty eating in public
Very secretive about eating patterns
Pale complexion (almost a pasty look)
Headaches
Perfectionistic attitude
Feelings of self worth determined by what is or is not eaten
No known physical illness that would explain weight loss

There are so many signs and symptoms that a person with anorexia can have. Just because they might not have EVERY sign or symptom, doesn't mean that they can't still be anorexic. If you paid close attention to one thing mentioned in the first post, jhunter said that her daughter still cooks for her husband, yet doesn't eat any of the food that she has prepared, herself. This is also something typical of those with anorexia. I can remember when I was really bad into anorexia, that I absolutely LOVED cooking for other people, but I wouldn't even think about touching the food myself. It made me happy to see other people eating and enjoying it, but I wanted nothing to do with the food I had prepared. It is highly unlikely that her metabolism just all of a sudden increased on its own. There would have to be a medical reason for that, and there doesn't seem to be anything physically wrong with her, other than her refusal to eat. Anyway, I just wanted to point a few things out. This post is not meant to offend in any way, so I'm sorry if it has. It's only meant to clarify a few things.
sniffles