Did I Stunt My Own Growth?

[Zeh Crazy]

When I was 13, I began starving myself, eating about only 300 calories everyday, sometimes less. I have never gotten taller since I was 13 years old and I am 17 now. I think that maybe some of my growth was stunted. I have always had very small breasts. In fact, I have such a small breast size that they don't even make my size. For the past 4 years, I have gone through periods of starving myself, then eating. Until I was 14, I had very sporadic periods, then I was put on birth control to help regulate them. I was told that they were infrequent bcause I starved myself. Other than that, they're not as sporadic anymore and I'm not on birth control to help regulate them. I have chest pain, aching joints, my hair falls out constantly. Is this the result of not having a consistent diet and starving myself throughout the years? I really do think all the starving I have done to my body has caused damage, but I don't know to what extent or if it's reversible. From the ages 13-14, I starved myself everyday. I started eating a little bit more when I was about 15 and 16, but now I still starve myself sometimes.

What really hurt a lot was being underdeveloped when all the other girls around me were growing. It made me feel like a failure as a female, that there would be nothing that anyone would find attractive about me. I have a boyfriend, but sex is so...awkward because I'm not comfortable with my body. I hate how I look. He says he doesn't mind that I'm underdeveloped, but I can't help feeling insignificant next to a girl who is developed. I still get teased by people for it, and I try not to let it get to me, but it REALLY hurts.

My mother and sister aren't tall women either, but I'm still a little shorter. All of the women in my family have either a B cup or bigger and I'm not even fully an A cup. I think there is something wrong here. I didn't think that what I was doing would affect me in such a way. I just wanted to be beautiful. Now that I have things going wrong now, like the joint pain, my hair always falling out, bruising easily, chest pain in my heart area, I really do think that I caused damage to my own body. I don't want to look like a child forever. I just want to know if any of this is reversible or is there anything I can do?

[scott5]

I'm 18 and did something like that. I'm smaller than most guys my age and i'm starting to eat the full 2500 calories a day now.

Please don't feel like you're a failure though! You have a boyfriend! And i'm sure you've gor a lot of other things that have been great so far in your life. I'm 18, and have never had a girlfriend!

Also don't feel uncomfortable with your own body. It's yours. It's unique. Every other girl may be bigger than you, but you are you. I hated mine, but have grown to like it. We all have different bodies. We don't need to compare, or want to have abody like someone else.

I'm a guy... Being truthfully honest, i know it's not all about looks, but i'd rather have a down to earth, honest girlfriend with smaller boobs, than a girl with a fake unnatural body! Because i'm not very tall, i'd love a smaller girlfriend.

I always think smaller girls just are a lot cuter too.

There is nothing to think you're a failure, and as for the teasers, let them tease (ignore them). They'll just make themselves look like the bad, unkind ones.

-Scott