Underweight is a term describing a human whose body weight is considered too low to be healthy. The definition usually refers to people with a body mass index (BMI) of under 18.5 or a weight 15% to 20% below that normal for their age and height group. A person may be underweight due to genetics, metabolism, lack of food frequently due to poverty, or illness. Underweight might be secondary to or symptomatic of an underlying disease. Unexplained weight loss may require professional medical diagnosis.
Being underweight is associated with certain medical conditions, including hyperthyroidism, cancer, or tuberculosis. People with gastrointestinal or liver problems may be unable to absorb nutrients adequately. People with anorexia nervosa become underweight due to self-starvation often accompanied by excessive exercise and dieting.
Underweight can also be a primary causative condition. Severely underweight individuals may have poor physical stamina and a weak immune system, leaving them open to infection. People who are malnutrative underweight raise special concerns, as not only gross caloric intake may be inadequate, but also intake and absorption of other vital nutrients, especially essential amino acids and micro-nutrients such as vitamins and minerals.
In women, being grossly underweight can result in amenorrhea (absence of menstruation), infertility and possible complications during pregnancy. It can also cause anemia and hair loss.
Being underweight is an established risk factor for osteoporosis, even for young people. This is a particularly insidious consequence, because the affected persons do not notice the danger. After the occurrence of first spontaneous fractures the damage is often already irreversible.
Although being underweight has been reported to increase mortality at rates comparable to that seen in morbidly obese people, the effect is much less drastic when restricted to non-smokers with no history of disease, suggesting that smoking and disease-related weight loss are the leading causes of the observed effect.
Also See:
» BMI Calculator (Body Mass Index)
» BMR Calculator (daily calorie requirement)
» Ideal Weight Calculator (for Adult)
» Weight Management (for Adult)