Eating Disorders
Does my au pair have an eating disorder? This is what she does: she comes to the table to eat with us - she is very nervous about food, fidgets and cuts up her food but I notice she never really eats much - she just pushes it all around her plate.
She is pretty thin, but not so thin her bones show, like a lot of models I see that have anorexia. Should I be concerned?
Our cleaningn lady told us that she finds candy hidden under the bed plus cookies and cake. some of it is eaten , some not.
I would appreicate some advice on this.
My au pair is from Brazil, does not speak English very well and is 18. She arrived 4 months ago. We like her and the kids also.
Eating Disorders
Hello Arlene,
Your question is a good one and eating disorders are serious. Pushing food around one's plate and not really eating it is one sign of an eating disorder, but you really need to have more evidence of the existence of an eating disorder. Hoarding food is also another symptom - coupled with significant weight loss, these two behaviors may suggest that your au pair does not have a healthy relationship with food.
Eating disorders are becoming more common in Brazil, as they are in most industrial nations. Anorexia and Bulimia are the most common forms of eating disorders and you should think about having your au pair seen by a doctor, just to check her overall health. The doctor will pick up on any eating disorder, if one does exist.
However, your au pair may also be anxious and her appetite may be affected by this anxiety. She is young and this may be the first time she is away from home (a very long way from home). So, give her some time to adjust, but if you see continued weight loss and a refusal to eat, you should call your counselor/LCC and share with her your concerns. Let the agency step in and decide if your au pair needs to be seen by a professional.
If she does have an eating disorder, it would be best to arrange for her to return home, so she can be close to family while she is being treated. She will need the support of family to make a successful recovery.
Good luck and check in with me again about your au pair.
Best,
Dr. Siman
My anorexic au pair
wow, it has been quite a situation! we did take her to the doctor and she was diagnosed with anorexia! It is a very serious eating disorder and apparently she had this before she came, it was in remission, but the stress was enough to start her not-eating again. the agency wanted to rematch her, but we made such a fuss with her parents (we told them how much wt. she lost) that they paid for an early flight home and she is now gone. The doctors explained how involved the treatment was, and that there was no way she could stay, work and be treated. Anorexia often involves a hospital stay and that is when I found out that the agency does not pay for psychiatric disoders and eating disorders fall under psychiatric problems. Thank you so much Dr. Siman, my counselor didn't kow about eating disorders and we appreciate your help in this matter so much!!!