Was Dylan so skinny because he was depressed?

Do you think Dylan got down to 140 pounds because he was depressed and had stopped eating cereal in mixing bowls by the time NBK came around?

I think that his weight loss was a very significant indicator of his depression, yes. I remember that I either didn't eat much at all, or ate a lot in one sitting back when I was depressed. I lost maybe 10-15kgs in the space of a very short time that way. I've always said that all of my energy went to being numb/sad/heavy-feeling, so my body was functioning on its reserves in a sense. I don't think Dylan necessarily stopped eating. I just think that depression is a very powerful black hole that attempts to soak up everything that can remotely provide energy or a better feeling, thus leading to things like weight loss.

I think it's because he didn't eat enough KFC.

Also, did he actually lose weight or did he just have a thin build?

I think his drivers license had him weighing 180 pounds or so, whilst his autopsy report had him weighing 140? I was pondering whether or not that may have been from depression.

thedragonrampant wrote:

I just think that depression is a very powerful black hole that attempts to soak up everything that can remotely provide energy or a better feeling, thus leading to things like weight loss.

Good observation. Weight loss (or gain) and erratic sleep patterns are almost always associated with depression. One look at Dylan Klebold without his duster on and anyone with a shred of empathy or compassion would have been concerned for the kid. Maybe that was another reason he liked wearing it so much -- covered up his boniness.

I'm surprised Tom and Sue never caught on. 40 pounds lost is a huge difference! I'd wonder if something was up medically if my kid lost 40 pounds when he was already a healthy size.

fatlittleparasite wrote:

I'm surprised Tom and Sue never caught on. 40 pounds lost is a huge difference! I'd wonder if something was up medically if my kid lost 40 pounds when he was already a healthy size.

We really don't know for a fact that he lost 40 pounds though. People have lied on their driver's licenses before. I think he looked quite a bit heavier in previous years, but that may have been before he shot up in height. I have several cousins who are about the same height as Dylan, and I can tell you that it is very easy for them to reach the point that they appear sickeningly skinny. Not to say that Dylan didn't lose the weight, I just don't know that this was confirmed. Also, if he lost a large amount of weight over a long period of time, it would have been far less noticeable.

Wideawake wrote:

fatlittleparasite wrote:

I'm surprised Tom and Sue never caught on. 40 pounds lost is a huge difference! I'd wonder if something was up medically if my kid lost 40 pounds when he was already a healthy size.

We really don't know for a fact that he lost 40 pounds though. People have lied on their driver's licenses before. I think he looked quite a bit heavier in previous years, but that may have been before he shot up in height. I have several cousins who are about the same height as Dylan, and I can tell you that it is very easy for them to reach the point that they appear sickeningly skinny. Not to say that Dylan didn't lose the weight, I just don't know that this was confirmed. Also, if he lost a large amount of weight over a long period of time, it would have been far less noticeable.

That's true. I'm on the tall side for a female and when I was young I often got strange looks (and rude comments) because my thin build was just enhanced visually by a large growth spurt.

Plus, I think Tom and Sue would catch on to something like that, for some reason, and try and figure out what was making it happen. I never thought Dylan looked sickeningly skinny anyway. Yeah, he was a skinny guy, but it just looked like it was the norm for him. His mother seems to have the same build.

Some people lose weight, some people gain it when they are depressed. I happen to gain weight. I hate winter. Maybe Dylan hated being the chubby kid he used to be and just consciously ate less to lose weight. He did have low self esteem. seriously though that boy was skinny as hell!

I lost the same amount of weight from the middle to the last year of High school. I'm definitely not the same height as Dylan only about 180cm (5'11") tall, but it was very obvious to my family that I had lost weight. I went down to about 63kg (139lbs) for you Imperialists ;)

I think it's possible that Dylan lost the weight from being self-conscious of it. I recall reading somewhere that he was worried about his trench coat making him look "fat". We don't know if he was verbally abused at some point for being "fat" as her certainly was never "overweight" even.

Yep, that was in the BT transcripts.

Dextromethorphan wrote:

Some people lose weight, some people gain it when they are depressed. I happen to gain weight. I hate winter. Maybe Dylan hated being the chubby kid he used to be and just consciously ate less to lose weight. He did have low self esteem. seriously though that boy was skinny as hell!

Hate winter haha, I'm currently living in Northern Sweden and we get about 3-4 hours of sunlight a day currently On another note I recall somewhere that Dylan was "pining" for his love.

It could have just been puberty. Didn't he have a massive growth spurt the summer between his junior and senior year? I think I read that somewhere.

I think you can notice the weightl loss by looking at the picture of Dylan at the school news studio with his KMFDM shirt. It's in januari 1998, if I remember correctly. There it seems like he is of very normal stature, but in the suicide picture he looks skinny as hell. In de vids, wich are usually from senior year, he looks also pretty skinny.

I think the van break-in fucked him up really bad. Mentally and fysically.

I can definitely tell he lost weight. He looks extremely thin in Radioactive Clothing and I think that was filmed just a month prior to the massacre. Even compared to his senior pictures, he looks a lot thinner.

I think Dylan was on a downward spiral. With NBK creeping ever so closer ,i doubt he ever thought about food or was concerned about his weight / health. Nothing really mattered anymore.
Only NBK mattered. All his energy was tied up with the planning of the mass murder of his fellow students and his own suicide. Maybe

Didn't people say he had a big appetite? I remember reading that he would eat cereal out of a mixing bowl and an entire KFC bucket. Also, a friend that shared a limo with him during the prom said that he ate a huge dinner that night. So, I think he just had fast metabolism because he was a teenager and had slim parents. He doesn't look THAT thin to me, not for a 17 year old boy anyway.

maninthebox wrote:

Didn't people say he had a big appetite? I remember reading that he would eat cereal out of a mixing bowl and an entire KFC bucket. Also, a friend that shared a limo with him during the prom said that he ate a huge dinner that night. So, I think he just had fast metabolism because he was a teenager and had slim parents. He doesn't look THAT thin to me, not for a 17 year old boy anyway.

He looks very skinny in the "Breakfast Run" vid, especially at the end. His arms are like pencils. Same with the death photo.

Well, I mean, he was very skinny, but it's not like he was an anorexic. I've known a lot of boys who were as skinny as he was at that age.

maninthebox wrote:

Well, I mean, he was very skinny, but it's not like he was an anorexic. I've known a lot of boys who were as skinny as he was at that age.

That's true. But every time I see how skinny he was, especially in the two instances I mentioned, my heart feels a little sting. He just looks so weak and vulnerable. They both do. I suppose you're right that's true for a lot of teenagers; they are after-all still children pretty much.

I know what you mean, I feel sorry for him cause he's looks weak and awkward with his pointy elbows and slouching shoulders I just want to give him a big sandwich or something.

He looks much better the junior year and before, with a bit more weight on him. There's so much legs to him that he looks dangly when he walks, too. He may have been uncomfortable in his lanky body.