Continued Correspondence - August 21

Thanks so much for all of this information. We've been listening carefully to N the past few days. He continues to loose weight, though. I hid our bathroom scale, but he searched for and found it -- and has lost another pound (he has lost 13 pounds in one month). The scale is now "unfindable."

I told him yesterday that he could only go to football if he promised to drink 1/2 of a 12 oz gatorade during his two-hour practice. He refused and cried and refused and cried. Finally he said that he would not go to football (I think trying to call my bluff). I said, "fine." After much anguish, he went to football and said that he did drink 1/2 of the gatorade (could be lying but he is usually honest about things). It was probably the wrong thing to do -- but I have become much more concerned about his health because of it. Last night he talked at length about everyone in his class remembering the heavy N -- and getting to see him a lot thinner. I'm wondering if this is part of the payoff he is seeking (admiration of his classmates). Might the obsession settle down after school starts and the payoff ends (or doesn't materialize)?

Anyway, the short part is that I called his pediatrician to see what he recommended. He referred us to Dr. H, a psychologist that specializes in children. It doesn't state that Dr. H deals with eating disorders. Is that a concern? Do you know Dr. H -- and would he be good to work with in this situation? Am I jumping the gun? Or should I give N some time and see if things work on their own?

Thanks so much for guiding us. We're pretty clueless and it feels overwhelming that we might need to take N to a Psychologist.

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Doctor's response:
*explained there is a reinforcement.
*Dr. that was recommended deals primarily with delinquent children.
*okay to make football dependent upon eating.
*try reinforcements/set limits and wait to see if it works.