Raymond Morales10 said:So... I have a bit of a situation on my hands. I have a thirteen-year-old niece currently in seventh grade, and frankly, her weight is deeply concerning to me. It feels like she’s teetering right on the edge of anorexia; when she bends her elbows, her joints look as thin as toothpicks. Since her parents—my sister and her husband—are constantly working, there isn't much supervision regarding her actual food intake. To get straight to the point, my sister and I had a bit of a falling out yesterday over this very issue. She insists that my niece is just naturally thin due to puberty and that nothing is wrong, whereas I am convinced she simply isn't eating enough and needs intervention. My husband and several others have also commented on how underweight she seems; while many kids her age are slender, her fragility feels unhealthy. I’m looking for some guidance on who I might turn to for professional validation—someone who can confirm that this level of thinness is indeed a health risk so I can show my sister that this isn't just a matter of genetics, especially since the parents are more robustly built. It seems clear to me that she isn't getting the necessary vitamins or protein required for a growing body. Who can I contact for expert advice to settle this dispute and determine who is actually being reasonable here? Thanks in advance.
Hold on a second—are you certain she isn't consuming enough food, or is your conclusion based solely on the fact that she looks thin?🙄