What Does it Mean to Be Underweight?

Being underweight can cause an individual just as many health problems as being overweight. A person’s body may not be obtaining the nutrition it needs to produce strong bones, skin, and hair if they are underweight. How do you know you are underweight? Your BMI will help your doctor in determining if you are underweight. BMI is a formula that calculates your body fat percentage depending on your height and weight.

BMI Range Weight Status

• Below 18.5 – Underweight
• 18.5 – 24.9 – Normal weight
• 25 – 29.9 – Overweight
• 30 and above – Obese

Causes of Underweight

A person may be underweight for a number of reasons. Multiple underlying causes may be linked at times. A variety of factors can contribute to being underweight; let’s discuss some of them.

Medical Condition

Some diseases cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea on a regular basis, making it difficult to gain weight. Other conditions may cause a person’s appetite to be suppressed, making them unable to eat. Cancer, diabetes, thyroid diseases, and digestive illnesses like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are just a few examples.

Family History

Some people have a naturally low BMI due to inherited physical characteristics.

Fast Metabolism

Even when eating high-energy foods, a person with fast metabolism may not gain much weight.

Regular Exercise

Athletes or people who engage in high levels of physical activity, such as runners, may burn a large number of calories, resulting in low body weight.

Mental Illness

Depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia can all impair a person’s ability to eat. Each of these conditions can impact a person’s body image and appetite.

Risks of Being Underweight

In the medical world, there is a lot of focus on the health consequences of being overweight, but what about the consequences of being underweight? Being underweight or having poor nutrition is linked to a number of health problems.

Malnutrition

You may not be consuming enough healthy foods with important nutrients to sustain your body, thereby resulting in being underweight. This can result in malnutrition. Malnutrition can have a variety of effects on your health over time, some of which may be visible to you or others. Other symptoms of malnutrition are:

• feeling depleted of energy or being exhausted
• being unwell a lot or having a hard time fighting off illnesses
• ladies who have irregular or missed periods
• hair thinning or loss, dry skin, or dental problems

If your low BMI is caused by an imbalanced diet or an underlying condition that limits nutrient absorption, you may be more likely to be malnourished as well. Anemia or a deficit in critical vitamins can also result from malnutrition.

Low Energy

When your body fat is low, it doesn’t have any spare fat stores to depend on when it needs more energy. This can lead to a lack of energy and a constant feeling of exhaustion, which can be worsened by low iron levels. You don’t have to run a marathon to become exhausted. Instead, when you’re doing somewhat sedentary jobs, your lack of energy may set in.

Immune Dysfunction and an Increased Risk of Certain Diseases

You may not have the required vitamins to keep your immune system healthy if you don’t get the foods you require. As a result, your health is likely to deteriorate over time. Many underweight persons discover that their immune systems are inadequate in protecting them from germs and viruses, causing them to become ill more frequently. Being underweight has also been related to depression, an increased risk of suicide, and an increased mortality rate due to external factors such as accidents.

Fertility Issues

Women being underweight has major consequences such as reproductive difficulties and infertility. Hormone imbalances can occur as a result of being underweight, making it difficult for some women to conceive. Those who do have a 72 percent higher chance of miscarriage in the first trimester. If underweight women bring their babies to term, their babies are more likely to be premature or underweight.

Irregular periods

Underweight women may not have regular periods, menstruation may stop, or an adolescent’s first period may be delayed or absent. Infertility may result from irregular or absent menstruation.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis, a disorder in which the bones become brittle and more prone to fracture, is increased in women who are underweight.

Problems with Skin, Hair, or Teeth

If a person’s daily diet is deficient in nutrients, one can experience physical symptoms such as thinning skin, hair loss, dry skin, or poor dental health.

How to Gain Healthy Weight

Consume Protein-Rich Foods

Protein contains the amino acids required for the development of lean muscle. If you want to gain weight, you’re undoubtedly concerned about the type of weight you’ll gain. Protein is required by the body to build and repair cells, as well as for normal growth. The body does not generate essential amino acids, thus they must be received from food. Essential amino acids are not produced by the body and must be obtained from food. For this reason, it is critical to eat a well-balanced diet. As a general rule, you should ingest 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

Consume Calories

Take your time to gain weight in a healthy way. Begin by boosting your daily caloric intake by 100-200 calories. It is never a good idea to gain or lose weight quickly. Healthy weight loss takes place over a lengthy period of time, with weekly weight loss ranging from 1-2 pounds. In the same way that you should lose weight gradually, you should gain weight slowly as well. Add one extra nutrient-dense apple or avocado to your meal to up the calorie count.

Train with Weights

By increasing muscle, you can keep your body strong and lean. Muscle mass gives you a toned appearance and boosts your metabolism. Another reason to gain muscle is to strengthen your bones. Many of us are unaware that strong muscles result in strong bones. Strong bones can also reduce the incidence of osteoporosis-related fractures. At least three times a week, try to include strength training in your workout program.

Take Multivitamins

Fill dietary gaps to prevent malnutrition. Take a high-quality supplement that has been third-party-tested and does not include fillers if you don’t eat a well-balanced diet. Look for cholecalciferol (vitamin D), menaquinone-7 (vitamin K), riboflavin 5′-phosphate (vitamin B2), and methylated folate as active components. To receive all of the nutrients you need, eat a well-balanced diet that includes a range of fruits and vegetables.

Now that you Know…

You may achieve a healthy weight and avoid the harmful health impacts of being underweight by making a few changes to your diet and lifestyle.

• Consuming smaller, more frequent meals is a good idea. Include more snacks in your daily routine.
• Pay closer attention to what you’re drinking and when you’re drinking it. Smoothies are a healthier alternative to diet soda, coffee, and other caffeinated beverages. Fruits, vegetables, and dairy products can all be used to fill them.
• Drinks that suppress your appetite should be saved for 30 minutes after a meal.
• Adding cheese, almonds, and seeds as toppings to main dishes will help you consume more calories.
• Start working out. Adding muscle to your body can help you gain weight. Exercising can also help to increase your appetite.
• Consume nutrient-dense foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, nuts and seeds, and lean proteins.

In all, a healthy lifestyle modification and proper diet can help you achieve a normal BMI with the advice of your doctor. Your doctor can also assist you in navigating solutions for nutrient-dense food scarcity, psychological concerns, underlying health conditions, prescription side effects, and other factors that contribute to underweight or malnutrition.