Hello
My friend is 16, and she has anorexia. She has been anorexic for about three years, and it has affected her greatly. She is under 90 pounds, and everyone asks me what is wrong with her. She does not look good. She is a straight A student. Her parents are in denial. She was taken to a health specialist, who recommended hospitalization and counseling. Her parents never took her. They will not acknowledge the fact that she is dying. Whenever my friends and I tell her that we care about her and want her to get help, she cries and says "I'm trying!"
We are at a loss. We do not know what do do. She eats so slowly, if she even eats at all. We are so worried about her. She is always very slow and she no longer has any spunk. Also, on her right hand, all 5 of her fingertips are purple, puffy, and peeling. Is that a sign of bulemia? What do we do for her? She needs help!

Go to your school counselor, explain the situation and that her parents refuse to acknowledge the problem and she needs to be taken from them and put into a hospital or therapy program that can help her deal with her disease. Her parents are very irresponsible but it's good that she has friends who care about her. PLEASE talk to an adult like a counselor about her at your school and have them get her into a safe place and help her with this problem.

We did actually talk to the school counseler. She called her parents, and her parents told the counseler that my friend was already in counseling and is eating healthier and getting better. This was obviously a lie. We're just so upset with her parents for thinking this will go away on its own. I just don't know what to do. She doesn't look good, and she really really needs help. We were thinking about another "intervention," but I don't want to cross the line or embarrass or upset her. Is there anything else we should do?

Talk to your parents, tell your couseler that that was a lie, call and report it to children services.