Anorexic Boyfriend?

My boyfriend and I have been dating for nearly 6 months now, and at the start of our relationship he was such a happy guy despite his depression and social anxiety. As time went by, i’ve noticed his self-esteem falling. He’s started to worry about the way he looks more than i do! Now, it’s getting worse. I think he might have anorexia, and whenever i try to talk to him about it he gets really sad about it trying to convince me he doesn’t have any eating disorders.
I tried my best to show him why i think he might have it, but he just pushes me away by saying he’s fine.
Why i think he has Anorexia is because he’s stopped eating properly, he eats a meal a day saying that that’s too much for him already. But most of all, he says he’s fat. But tust me, he’s one of the skinniest guys i’ve ever met. His stomach is flatter than mine, and i’m a whole year younger than him! (I’m 14, he’s 15).
And to make all this worse, he’s been throwing up all the food he eats. I’m scared that not only does he have anorexia, but now bulimia?
I told him what i think, and yet again he gets really upset (he’s a very emotional person). He promised me he does not force himself to throw up, but he wont tell either of his parents that he’s been throwing up for the past week or two. I think it’s stopped now, unless he’s not telling me something because he doesn’t want to worry me.

But my question is,
How do i convince my boyfriend that he’s not fat, that not eating properly will affect his health and all this is worrying me so much? I’ve tried talking to him about this so many times, he avoids conversations like this because he doesn’t want to get upset and upset me, too.
But i need him to be okay, i have to know that he’s okay without having to ask him what he’s ate every single day to know that he has actually ate anything.

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1 Answer

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It's possible that he might have some type of body dysmorphia, or maybe this is almost his way of self mutilation. Some people cut, maybe he's starving himself. I would really research more and read up on it. Anorexia is a very serious condition and it's also really complex. I would read books, watch movies etc. Also do the same for depression. Maybe if he's taking medication for his depression it's also effecting his eating habits. Keep an open mind. But I think the first step to helping him would to be to get him to admit he has an eating disorder, because if he keeps saying he doesn't your left with this guessing game and you won't be able to help him at all. I think you just need to let him know that you will support him and be there for him consistently and that he doesn't need to feel like he's alone. I wouldn't point out how much he eats or how skinny he is or what he looks like, because it will just fuel him to continue the destructive habit. Don't push him too much because it is a sensitive subject. Maybe to get him to open up you should talk about your own insecurities and problems, so that way he won't feel like there's something horribly wrong with him.

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