Recent from talks
Underweight
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Underweight
An underweight person is a person whose body weight is considered too low to be healthy.
The body mass index, a ratio of a person's weight to their height, has traditionally been used to assess the health of a person as it pertains to weight: under the cut-off point at a BMI of 18.5, a person is considered underweight. The calculation is given by the mass per height squared, with results usually given in kg/m^2 (for an approximate conversion from lb/in^2, divide by 703). Another measure of underweight is through comparison to the average weight of a cohort of people of a similar age and height: people who are at least 15% to 20% below the average weight for the group are considered underweight.
Body fat percentage has been suggested as another way to assess whether a person is underweight. Unlike the body mass index, which is a proxy measurement, the body fat percentage takes into account the difference in composition between adipose tissue (fat cells) and muscle tissue and their different roles in the body. The American Council on Exercise defines the amount of essential fat, below which a person is underweight, as 10–13% for women and 2–5% for men. The greater amount of essential body fat in women supports reproductive function.[citation needed]
Using the body mass index as a measure of weight-related health, with data from 2014, age-standardised global prevalence of underweight in women and men were 9.7% and 8.8%, respectively. These values were lower than what was reported for 1975 as 14.6% and 13.8%, respectively, indicating a worldwide reduction in the extent of undernutrition.
A person may be underweight due to genetics, poor absorption of nutrients, increased metabolic rate or energy expenditure, lack of food (frequently due to poverty), low appetite, drugs that affect appetite, illness (physical or mental) or the eating disorder anorexia nervosa.
Being underweight is associated with certain medical conditions, including type 1 diabetes, hyperthyroidism, cancer, and tuberculosis. People with gastrointestinal or liver problems may be unable to absorb nutrients adequately. People with certain eating disorders can also be underweight due to one or more nutrient deficiencies or excessive exercise, which exacerbates nutrient deficiencies.
A common belief is that healthy underweight individuals can ‘eat what they want’ and then burn it off either by high levels of activity or elevated metabolism. It has been shown, however, that individuals with BMI < 18.5 eat about 12% less calories than individuals with normal BMI (21.5 to 25) and they are 23% less physically active (by accelerometry). Underweight people tend to have low appetites and typically eat little, sporadically or infrequently.[citation needed]
Being underweight can be a symptom of an underlying condition, in which case it is secondary. Unexplained weight loss may require a professional medical diagnosis by a physician.
Hub AI
Underweight AI simulator
(@Underweight_simulator)
Underweight
An underweight person is a person whose body weight is considered too low to be healthy.
The body mass index, a ratio of a person's weight to their height, has traditionally been used to assess the health of a person as it pertains to weight: under the cut-off point at a BMI of 18.5, a person is considered underweight. The calculation is given by the mass per height squared, with results usually given in kg/m^2 (for an approximate conversion from lb/in^2, divide by 703). Another measure of underweight is through comparison to the average weight of a cohort of people of a similar age and height: people who are at least 15% to 20% below the average weight for the group are considered underweight.
Body fat percentage has been suggested as another way to assess whether a person is underweight. Unlike the body mass index, which is a proxy measurement, the body fat percentage takes into account the difference in composition between adipose tissue (fat cells) and muscle tissue and their different roles in the body. The American Council on Exercise defines the amount of essential fat, below which a person is underweight, as 10–13% for women and 2–5% for men. The greater amount of essential body fat in women supports reproductive function.[citation needed]
Using the body mass index as a measure of weight-related health, with data from 2014, age-standardised global prevalence of underweight in women and men were 9.7% and 8.8%, respectively. These values were lower than what was reported for 1975 as 14.6% and 13.8%, respectively, indicating a worldwide reduction in the extent of undernutrition.
A person may be underweight due to genetics, poor absorption of nutrients, increased metabolic rate or energy expenditure, lack of food (frequently due to poverty), low appetite, drugs that affect appetite, illness (physical or mental) or the eating disorder anorexia nervosa.
Being underweight is associated with certain medical conditions, including type 1 diabetes, hyperthyroidism, cancer, and tuberculosis. People with gastrointestinal or liver problems may be unable to absorb nutrients adequately. People with certain eating disorders can also be underweight due to one or more nutrient deficiencies or excessive exercise, which exacerbates nutrient deficiencies.
A common belief is that healthy underweight individuals can ‘eat what they want’ and then burn it off either by high levels of activity or elevated metabolism. It has been shown, however, that individuals with BMI < 18.5 eat about 12% less calories than individuals with normal BMI (21.5 to 25) and they are 23% less physically active (by accelerometry). Underweight people tend to have low appetites and typically eat little, sporadically or infrequently.[citation needed]
Being underweight can be a symptom of an underlying condition, in which case it is secondary. Unexplained weight loss may require a professional medical diagnosis by a physician.
Recent media