Do some ailments have distinctive smells?

[whitehill]

I'm worried about a young friend, he's 15yrs old and recently I have noticed a strange smell around him most of the while - it smells strongly as though he has been sick all over himself and the smell is still hanging around. He is a very clean lad, showers morning and night, and his mother is quite fanatical about him changing his clothes regularly; he is not allowed to wear any of his clothes two days running. So is this just a puberty odour (I don't ever remember anything like this with any of my sons) or is it symptomatic of something, say diabetes (he seems to drink quite a lot). I am concerned but I can't say all this to his mother, she would take it as a personal insult. Obviously, I can't say anything to the lad and make him self-conscious. So is it important or just a passing phase?

[Buenchico]

Having taught in a secondary school, I'm reasonably confident that it's nothing other than part of puberty.

For other possibilities though, see here:
http://www.wrongdiagn.../body_odor/causes.htm

Chris

[karenmac60]

There are other ailments which cause body odours

http://www.ehow.com/h...edical-condition.html

But I also remember a friend at school who always had a vomitty smell all the time. I met her again years later and she told me she had suffered from bulimia as a teen - I had never commented on the smell but it added up.

[whitehill]

Thank you both for your prompt answers - I don't think it would be bulimia, he does like his food but often stays over at our house (he's like a grandson to me) so it would be hard to hide it. But I'd never forgive myself if there were something really wrong and I had done nothing about it.