Not sure if something's wrong with me, or my parents.

[Jaitsu]

All my life (I'm now 17, 18 in February) I've had an exceptionally small appetite, with quirks. For me, it's generally like this: For three or four days I'll hardly be hungry at all other than wanting the occasional snack, then one day I'll be practically starving all day, and eat like a stereotypical "teenager that'll eat you out of house and home." I'm perfectly within the average range in terms of weight, I don't purge, and I don't have any concerns about my body.

However, my mother and aunt (the only ones I live with, and it's worth noting that they're both very much overweight) both refuse to accept this. I'll tell them I'm not hungry, and I'm really not, but without exception, I'm always told that I'll either eat or be punished. Most of the time I wind up taking something and hiding it or something to make them think I've eaten so they'll leave me alone, but there are times when I'm forced to sit and eat in front of them, and when I'm not hungry and forced to eat, it causes me physical pain, to the point that I feel like I'm going to be sick. They both seem to think I'm just putting on a show, or trying to make a point, but the truth is exactly as I state it: I'm just not hungry. I've had multiple trips to a doctor, who's said that he can't find anything wrong with me, but she winds up bringing me back over it once every few months, and always gets the exact same response: I'm a normal body weight, average physique, blood tests show no deficiencies. I just have a weird metabolism.

So what do I tell them? I'm being driven out of my mind; right now I'm on a "vacation" with family, and they're all the same as my mother and aunt: obese, with a lack of understanding for the fact that I really can't eat nearly as much as they want me to. Literally once every fifteen minutes (twice so far, while I've been typing this) one of them will come over and lecture me on how I should be eating more, argue with me, then leave and talk about it with the others for a minute or two, then the cycle repeats.

[Casey.]

It's actually not the weird for someone to not feel hungry. I had a friend like that, and she would often just forget to eat because she never felt hungry. But that doesn't mean that your body doesn't need food. If you are healthy, I really wouldn't worry about it.

As for your family, however, well been there. I hear all the time that I should eat more, but it's hard to explain to people that my stomach is smaller, because if you don't eat a lot all the time, your stomach does shrink and will make you feel really sick if you eat too much. Could you try telling your mum that your body is built differently than hers? That eating too much makes you feel sick, and that you know how much food your body needs. It the end, it is your body, not hers. If you are not intentionally not eating, than there really isn't a reason for her to be concerned.