Eating issues

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This isn't so much an autism question. But just wondering for those of you particularly around middle school age (12-14) have you ever had eating problems or know of someone who have? I have a 12 year old cousin for instance who is eating one meal a day. I don't know how long she's been doing this. Her mom asks her why she won't eat normal meals, and she doesn't say anything. She has lost 9 kg. She lives in S Korea and Koreans use the kg. I think 9kg is 20 pounds. But she lost it in about a month. Apparently she sees skinny girls and want to be like them. She wasn't overweight though. She's attending a Catholic school near where I live. She's supposed to go to that Catholic school till 8th grade then she will go to some boarding high school in the area. This is her first time going to a US school too. She's living with my parents and I here in Northern Virginia.

Well, I'm a long way from age 12-14, but I might offer a comment or two. For most of my childhood I lived on one meal a day, but I wasn't underweight. I have never been one to eat breakfast and lunches at my schools was horrible at best, especially since I have a great many dislikes WRT many foods. I wonder if part of the problem might be the change of schools, or perhaps the type of food. If it is different from what she was used to previously, then maybe that's the issue. If she isn't eating because she thinks that she's too fat, then it might be wise to seek some professional help.

I am a very picky eater, and I don't eat often. For the most part, I only eat when I want something tasty, but I am never hungry. I weigh as much as a normal kid my age. My belly is often stuffed for some reason.

It sounds like your cousin might have anorexia.

When I was a younger kid (I'm an older teen now), I had a really hard time with eating.
I still have a bit of trouble, and I don't eat enough.
Even when my stomach feels like it's getting empty, I have very little to no desire to eat.
It helps if I schedule out what meals I will eat each day, but I've run out of meal ideas! So I have to find more.
I also had/have trouble eating foods with certain textures. As a kid, I had trouble eating all meat, all veggies, and most all fruits.
Now I mainly just have trouble eating melon-like foods, and vegetables if I don't mix them with noodles or rice.
Hope that's helpful to anyone with similar problems!

I don't have any "eating problems" but I do eat very little, I also eat very few foods. I often only eat every second or third day and even then I don't eat particularly much. I mainly never eel like eating, even when I do feel "hungry" I don't want to eat. I can't say much on the losing weight (I have fallen underweight before but it's for a different (private) reason) It does also sound like your cousin might have anorexia, so I would look into that.

I am very specific on what my Mom can pack for lunch. My rule is most of it gos bad.

I have severe OCD that causes me to not be able to eat tons of food. Once I had to go the hospital due to malnutrition.