Chloé* was only seven years old when she began to suffer from eating disorders. Initially, the symptoms were subtle: she would leave food on her plate or skip dessert. Gradually, her eating behavior worsened. She would snack on her food and claim she wasn't hungry because she had eaten too many snacks. Over time, she developed a genuine eating disorder. During the pandemic, Chloé's eating habits worsened. Unbeknownst to her family, nine-year-old Chloé stopped eating. In the span of three weeks, she lost eight kilograms, and her weight dropped to 28 kilograms (61.7 pounds). She could barely walk. Two years of anguish for Chloé as she relearned how to eat. Chloé's mother recalls sitting at the beginning of the family therapy workshops at The Children's with her daughter for her first meal. Six hours. It took six hours of insistence, cajoling, and comforting for her daughter to eat six pieces of tortellini. Chloé adamantly refused. She yelled, screamed, and cried. She lashed out physically. This behavior continued day after day for a while, at every meal and snack. "It was a truly horrible period. But I had to be unwavering with Chloé. I couldn't give in. I had to make her eat. Her life was in danger," said Magali, Chloé's mother.
It took two long years for Chloé to overcome her eating disorders. For the past six months, 11-year-old Chloé is doing well. She has regained her healthy weight. She smiles and eats well again.
Names have been changed to preserve anonymity.