How can I help my [anorexic] sister?

[Anonymous]

My sister is 19 and has suffered from eating disorders for all of high school. She eats very little and throws it up. Last year, she hit a low and one of her ribs broke easily. It became clear then that she was anorexic.

When she got pregnant last year, she ate regularly for her child. Now that he's born and she isn't breastfeeding, she hasn't been eating as much. At 19 years old and 5'4", she wears a size zero (in America).

Yesterday, I asked if she was taking care of herself. She said no, and I told her she looks thinner. She then tells me, "that salad I ate today is the only food I've had in 3 days." She told me about the pants that she bought after having her son, and showed me how loose they are now. When she bent down to pick her son up, I could see her spine through the top of her shirt.

I'm really worried about her. How can I help my sister? Please. I need responses. I don't want to lose her completely. I don't know how to help her. I rarely see her because of her work schedule, so it's difficult to find the right time to talk to her. Do I sit down and have a talk with her (and support her)? Do I encourage her to see a professional? (She has postpartum depression and brought it up yesterday.) We've never been close so we aren't on "personal" terms. I'm surprised she even said what she did.
Please help me help her. Please, before it kills her.

[taldaana]

Firstly she has got to stop eating salad it has very little nutrients infact your body uses up more energy to consume salad than it actually gains from it. She may need to start taking supplements for her health , does she drink anything regularly like coffee or tea because she could be filling up on those. Does she exercise too much that would also cause her to lose weight. If she really can't stop eating salads or the like there is always potatoe / pasta salad which will add carbs (very important at the moment ) . Someone needs to monoter her and make sure she eats the three square meals a day that she should. It would probably be a good idea to take her to a proffessional.

[Asker]

She doesn't exercise at all, but she keeps a busy work schedule. It's not that she's only eating salads... She just eats very little. She said she would cut up the watermelon and have some with her friend, but she never did. I made her waffles a couple weeks ago and she had a couple bites of that but wouldn't finish it.

I hope she does see a professional. I haven't seen her since the other day, so I can't talk to her myself.

[taldaana]

Watermelon won't help neither will apples they are made up of mostly water so that won't work. Just get her to see a proffessional.

[SirenDep]

Tell her to find a psychologist to help her feel better. Many women feel depressed after giving birth, and that also makes her anorexia worse

[jacquesvol]

Given your age you should first alert your parents.
Only a doctor and therapy can help your sister. She NEEDS a doctor. Anorexia is the most lethal psychiatric disorder : www.webmd.com/.../deadliest-psychiatric-disorder-anorexia

*lethal = causing death.

You can control that she sees a doctor and follows a therapy.

I hope the best for your sister.

[Marinepilot]

She desp
arately needs help. I'd say get her legally mandated into
a counseling program. I have seen anorexic women start cutting
themselves. Either way, bad juju !

[Jj2016]

Pass her a beef burger