How thin can you be?

introduction

How thin a person is allowed to be depends entirely on their physical build, age and state of health. In our society, an image of beauty has developed that primarily idealizes a very slim body shape. Young women in particular feel compelled to conform to this ideal and therefore pay close attention to their body weight. However, not only can Obesity be harmful to health, too Underweight becomes dangerous above a certain level. The emaciated figure is promoted by professional groups from the fashion industry and other celebrities. The Role model function falls under the table and thus harms many young people who, especially now, in their puberty, should be careful to eat enough and balanced food.

BMI

In medicine, one measurand has become established, the one Classification into underweight, normal weight and overweight allows - the BMI. The BMI, pronounced the Body mass index, is calculated from body height and weight and can largely be applied to the normal population. The body weight in kilograms is divided by the body length in meters multiplied by itself:

BMI = body weight (in kg) ÷ body length (in m) x body length (in m)

A normal BMI is between 18.5 and 25, for example a 1.70 m tall person with a body weight of 65 kg (BMI = 22.5). Serious underweight exists from a BMI of 17 downwards. For our example that would mean that the 1.70 m tall person would not even weigh 50 kg. That is clearly too thin and harmful to health - no matter how slim the body is naturally built.

aesthetics

The subject of aesthetics in relation to slimness is difficult because it is a subjective sensation - something that different people and different cultures assess differently. In the industrialized countries, where the level of affluence is relatively high, a thin figure is preferred to a thick one. In other countries where the supply situation is not optimal, a few pounds more on the ribs is considered nice. The aesthetic ideal has changed a lot over timeThe role model function of the people in the limelight, especially women, became more and more important. The rule is: the thinner, the better. Even if this is wrong from a health point of view, many people emulate such celebrities and embark on a very unhealthy lifestyle.

anorexia

As anorexia (Anorexia nervosa) one describes a mental illness with a eating disorder goes hand in hand. Those affected, mostly girls and young women, perceive their bodies as too fat (body schema disorder) and try to control their body weight in an abnormal manner. With a narrowing of the Food amount to a minimum and partially a lot of sport thus reduce your body weight dramatically. Her mind is constantly revolving around food and her weight.

In addition to the anorexia, the clinical picture of bulimia add which one by systematic vomiting after eating is characterized. In addition to the undersupply of the body, which weakens it enormously, anorexia can also lead to serious heart defects and disorders of the hormonal balance.
The Therapy for an eating disorder, which is usually carried out in a child and adolescent psychiatric institution in adolescence, is sometimes very difficult. Often the patients first have to be brought to show insight into the disease. Force-feeding with the help of a gastric tube is not uncommon. Long-term therapy is almost always required before a cure can actually be spoken of. However, the results are good. Most patients are no longer affected by the disease in young adulthood.

Transition to an eating disorder

The urge to lose weight can be quite normal if you have previously been overweight. The person does not feel comfortable in their body and therefore wants to lose a few kilograms. Up to normal weight, which can be calculated based on the BMI, weight reduction is completely legitimate and even desirable in terms of health. However, does the weight loss continue or has one even after reaching normal weight normal weight person the urge to lose a lot of weight, there could be an eating disorder.

The pathological process usually begins with a detailed list of all the food consumed, which enables a precise overview of the calories consumed. Meals in company are increasingly being rejected, often just talking about something being eaten. The patients, who can already be described as such, deliberately refrain from "fattening up". At first, the worrying development is not noticed, especially by people close to you. As a rule, the patients do not perceive themselves to be too thin, which is why only the least people who are affected by an eating disorder seek help independently and get into one Therapy for her eating disorder go. The transition from dieting to massive eating disorder is gradual, however, the people usually already have a shifted self-perception beforehand.

From what BMI do health-damaging consequences occur?

From what BMI the first harmful consequences occur depends in part on the person's physique. A stable and muscular body can cope with more weight loss than a petite person who already has a low starting weight anyway. From a BMI of under 18 it must be expected that damage to health will occur. Exact limit values, at which certain systems can no longer function properly, cannot be determined. From the limit BMI must with Heart damage, hormonal imbalances and other organic as well as psychiatric secondary diseases are expected. For this reason, a data subject should immediately contact a Eating Disorder Therapy kick off.

Consequences of a too low BMI

A very low BMI leads to extensive damage to health. There are direct reactions to the low body weight Dizziness, fainting spells, and constant freezing. The body tries the latter through so-called Lanugo hair to balance - a hairy fluff that grows on the back, arms, and face. As a result of the decreased weight, the amount of blood that circulates in the body also decreases. Blood pressure drops, the heart beats slower and things can become dangerous Cardiac arrhythmias which in the worst case can lead to sudden cardiac death. The electrolyte and sugar balance is disturbed, which in turn can cause various disorders. The number of blood cells decreases - it comes to States of exhaustion, tendency to infection and coagulation disorders.

The hormonal system is massively disrupted, which mainly affects the sex hormones. Women no longer get their periods, men lose their desire for sex and suffer from erectile dysfunction. If the low BMI persists during adolescence, as is usually the case, puberty may be delayed and the growth in height may stop prematurely. The skeletal structure also suffers from the inadequate nutrient situation. It happens faster among people with a very low BMI osteoporosis. The bones lose their density and therefore break faster. The reduced food intake can also lead to gastrointestinal symptoms such as cramps, nausea and constipation. In addition to osteoporosis is the Renal failure a consequence that remains with the patient for life.

In addition to the physical consequences that a too low BMI can cause, there are also often psychological symptoms. The patients are under constant emotional stress, which they create on the one hand and on the other hand experience from outside. That can't just be too depressions, but also lead to suicidal thoughts. The suicide rate among people with an eating disorder is higher than that of the general population.