When are you are too skinny?
For many women and some men weight is a constant issue. It starts out as just a simple "I need to lose weight" and can sometimes lead to serious conditions as anorexia or bulimia. Teenagers today are bombarded with finding the perfect body image which can lead down a scary road. So how do you know when you are too skinny? Let's take a look at some different issues regarding weight and what we can do to make sure we stay healthy and strong.
Dieting
This seems to be a word associated with weight all the time. In order to maintain or lose weight you have to diet right? Well, dieting can take on different meanings for different people. For a teenager dieting probably means something along the lines of starving yourself so you can fit the "ideal" body image. For older women it may mean not eating meat, or not eating any carbohydrates. With so many different diet fads out there it's difficult to judge what the word might means for everyone. However it does present the same risks for everyone, and that is going overboard and losing control. When dieting gets out of control you begin to lose more and more weight and it is then that you are in danger of becoming too skinny. When you begin to expend more calories than you consume your body gets out of balance. Its first reaction is to store the extra fat until of course there is nothing left to store and your body then starts to lose nutrients, vitamins, and pretty much anything that's left.
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Anorexia nervosa
Being severely underweight can have devastating effects on your physical as well as your mental well being. Anorexia nervosa is a term used to describe people who have become excessively thin. They refuse to maintain weight that's over the lowest weight for age and height and have an intense fear of gaining weight and becoming fat. A person's image of themselves physically is extremely distorted; when they look in the mirror all they see is fat. The easiest way to know if you are too skinny and on the verge of anorexia nervosa is if you have missed three consecutive menstrual periods without becoming pregnant.
Bulimia nervosa
Bulimia is another form of weight loss although it takes on a different path than anorexia. Instead of completely starving yourself to death, bulimia takes on recurrent episodes of binging and purging. A person suffering from bulimia will usually eat more than is needed to satisfy their hunger needs and then will vomit after doing so. There is no control over the binging and purging stages and it is done to prevent weight gain as well. Use of laxatives or diuretics is common, as well as vigorous exercise; an over concern for their body shape and weight drives them to this behavior and the result is generally the same as Anorexia nervosa.
What can you do?
If it seems like you fall into any of these categories, or know some one else that falls into these categories the first step is getting them or yourself some help. Talking with a family member or your physician about what can be done to start the process back to normal weight is the first concern. Talk with a therapist may also be helpful as well, as many of these disorders related to weight loss do just as much mental damage as physical. In order to gain weight you must:
- Increase the number of calories you are eating every day
- Exercise; strength training can build up muscle and strengthen bones and joints
- Eat at least three meals a day
When are you too skinny? Look for signs of disorders, mental and physical fatigues, as well as missed menstrual periods for at least three months in a row. Don't be afraid to take action if you feel that you or someone you know is getting too skinny.
