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Navigate: FAQ Home Page > Eating Disorder > Eating disorders affecting periods
Posted on: 04/30/2004
Question
I had an eating disorder my sophomore and junior year of high school and I went down to about 90 pounds. Now I am a Senior, and I have put on some more weight, but I haven't had my period in 6 months. Will having had an eating disorder affect my ability to have children when I am older?
Submitted on 02/08/04 at 07:39:39
Answer
First, congratulations on dealing with a very tough problem. Periods (which usually would indicate regular ovulation) may not restart after gaining weight, unless your weight has moved into the normal range, with a "body mass index" of at least 19. BMI depends on both your height and weight. Here's a link to a BMI calculator.
http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm
You should meet with your doctor to get a general checkup, making sure there are no other reasons for lack of periods. You may need some blood tests to sort things out.