Underweight
Underweight – Fading Away
Underweight, unobserved, underestimated?
There is a table on our page Overweight which we repeat below simply because it shows how underweight is clinically defined. Similarly, for convenience, we paraphrase our explanation of BMI, so that the clinical definition may be understood.
The medical profession generally relies on the Body Mass Index (BMI), in describing weight. In order to understand weight as the medical professionals do, it behooves us to understand BMI, which measures an individual’s weight against their height. A BMI is the result of an individual’s weight in pounds being divided by the square of his or her height in feet and inches. BMIs are generally used without stating the units. BMIs accurately indicate the percentage of body fat for most adults, (though not pregnant women or body-builders, perhaps).
Now we know what BMI is, we can understand what the medical profession means when describing someone as below normal weight. For convenience’s sake, you may care to search for a BMI calculator on the internet (or visit our page, BMI Calculator), to easily arrive at your personal BMI.
Ignoring underweight resulting from famine or unavoidable malnutrition, and therefore assuming at least adequate food supplies, abnormally low weight may be consequent on particular mental or physical disorders. There are many possible causes for this which include genetic predisposition, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, Type 1 diabetes, bowel disease, HIV/AIDS, anxiety disorder, depression, hyperthyroid disorder, and what we used to call consumption but we now know as tuberculosis.
Underweight people may have little stamina, but, by the same token, we have all seen successful marathon runners who we would probably describe as being a very light weight. Abnormally light weight people may have impacted immune systems. As they may be deficient in calories ingested, so may they also be deficient in vitamins and minerals absorbed. In short, sub-normal weight may render a sufferer more susceptible to infection and disease. One of the possible consequences is osteoporosis, where the damage done may not be immediately obvious but also may not be reversible by the time it is detected.
Many people will be aware that female anorexics and bulimics sometimes lose hair and become anaemic, not to mention ceasing menstruation. Nor are these results restricted to sufferers of these two conditions. The common factor is gross underweight. There are many possibilities of which (young) underweight women should be aware.
Not all damage done can be remedied by simply increasing calory consumption. Nevertheless, when a person is sufficiently underweight that health issues arise, weight gain may be the major tool of remediation. Quite simply, an underweight person needs calories consumed to exceed calories expended through work, exercise, etc. Weight training is often recommended in an attempt to build muscle. Clearly, if underweight has arisen through disease, the disease must be treated as well as addressing the weight issue.
© healthwise4all.com 2009, 2010. All rights reserved.
0 Responses to “Underweight”