Is my friend getting too thin again?

[Emma]

So, my best friends means a lot to me but she has always been seriously obsessed with her weight. She has being going up and down for years but she has never been even near overweight. Last year she lost about a stone in two weeks and she looked so ill, she stopped eating and we were at school one day when she collapsed. This was right before the holidays, she got the last few days off and then she went to stay with her aunt in London for 3 weeks, she wasn't allowed contact with us. When she came back, she had put on a bit of weight and over the next month or so she managed to put on weight to look healthy again. I believe she has struggled with depression although she has never told me this to my face. Recently she hasn't been eating lunch telling me she is 'just not hungry' or 'I ate breakfast today' and she comes to school upset and won't tell me what is wrong, I don't think she knows. She doesn't look any where near as bad as she did in the summer, but this is how it started last time. She has a twitter page that she doesn't think I know about and put this picture up with a tag saying "Um... I just ate but it's a new shirt." She's a really smart girl all A's and A*'s. I don't know why she would try to put herself down. I know she doesn't look too bad, but it's a lot thinner than before christmas.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/90263971@N06/8358321953/

What do you think I should do, she is 16. I'm just really worried about her...

[zap.]

I'm so glad that you care about your friend, most girls don't have the courage to speak up

But I think your friend is struggling with anorexia nervosa. It's a terrifying disorder, so notify someone immediately. I am guessing though that someone already knows, since she had collapsed in school. Just give the best moral support for your friend. Say things like "You know I'm here for you through anything that happens" or even something as simple as "You all right?" Just keep on repeating these things, because the last thing you want to do is isolate yourself from her.

Whatever you do, don't comment on her weight. It's triggering either way, trust me. If you say how great she's looking these days, she'll keep on starving herself. If you say she's looking "healthy" or anything other than skinny, she'll continue.

I hope your friend is able to overcome this obstacle in her life, she seems like a smart girl who's just insecure and lost.