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Is a BMI of <16 really "severe thinness"?

i.am.lost

I just measured my height and weight and worked out my BMI to be 15.78. According to the World Health Organisation, this constitutes "severe thinness" (they recently renamed it, it used to be the "starvation" category lol).

But do you think someone with a BMI of <16 is worryingly thin or would you say it's OK?

Reply 1

username677182

18

It entirely depends on your height, but that does sound worryingly underweight, the average (healthy) BMI is between 20-25 I think!

Reply 2

declanone

Well my BMI is 28 and im not even fat! so i think 16 is quite thin :s-smilie:

Just eat abit more than what you do now and you will be fine :smile:

Reply 3

field

I wouldn't use BMI alone to inform you on your health,

you have to look at waist-to-hip ratio and other measurements; your obviously not starving

Reply 4

Aeschylus

17

I used to have a BMI of 15. I was so so thin. It's definitely not healthy

Reply 5

tulips92

My BMI is 16 or therebouts, and my doctor told me she wasn't too worried about it :smile:

Reply 6

i.am.lost

OP

18

Original post by declanone

Well my BMI is 28 and im not even fat! so i think 16 is quite thin :s-smilie:

Just eat abit more than what you do now and you will be fine :smile:

The problem is as soon as I start to eat any more I notice I lose my flat stomach and my thighs balloon up, so I start getting depressed about gaining weight and go back to my normal eating habits. I've been in this cycle for the last 8 years.

Reply 7

Liam_G

14

Original post by i.am.lost

I just measured my height and weight and worked out my BMI to be 15.78. According to the World Health Organisation, this constitutes "severe thinness" (they recently renamed it, it used to be the "starvation" category lol).

But do you think someone with a BMI of <16 is worryingly thin or would you say it's OK?

Aren't you the guy who also had the legs which didn't touch each other? :beard:

Original post by field

I wouldn't use BMI alone to inform you on your health,

you have to look at waist-to-hip ratio and other measurements; your obviously not starving

I don't really understand waist to hip ratio. My class tried it in Biology once, and one of the girls (who is very overweight) came out in the healthy category, all because she was pretty much the same width in those two areas (I think) :dontknow:

Reply 8

kiss__this_x

9

Part of the diagnostic criteria for Anorexia is a BMI of under 17.5, enough said.

NOT saying you are, but look up the physical problems associated with having a BMI of 17.5 and under, then decide if you think that anything under 16 is healthy

Reply 9

LipstickKisses

15

Original post by i.am.lost

I just measured my height and weight and worked out my BMI to be 15.78. According to the World Health Organisation, this constitutes "severe thinness" (they recently renamed it, it used to be the "starvation" category lol).

But do you think someone with a BMI of <16 is worryingly thin or would you say it's OK?

Yeah that is quite thin, anorexic patients usually have a BMI of 17.

EDIT: Why have I been negged for stating something that is in the diagnostic criteria for diagnosing anorexia nervosa? :rolleyes:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 10

i.am.lost

OP

18

Original post by Liam_G

Aren't you the guy who also had the legs which didn't touch each other? :beard:

lol well remembered :colonhash:

Reply 11

field

Original post by Liam_G

I don't really understand waist to hip ratio. My class tried it in Biology once, and one of the girls (who is very overweight) came out in the healthy category, all because she was pretty much the same width in those two areas (I think) :dontknow:

yeah, well to be honest i don't really trust any of these indicators when not supported by doctors advise and so on.

i know that with BMI all the petite girls come out as dangerously underweight and all the muscular guys come out as dangerously overweight. not really a good measure imo

Reply 12

LipstickKisses

15

Original post by i.am.lost

The problem is as soon as I start to eat any more I notice I lose my flat stomach and my thighs balloon up, so I start getting depressed about gaining weight and go back to my normal eating habits. I've been in this cycle for the last 8 years.

Okay this sounds like an eating disorder, have you spoken to anyone about this?

I don't really understand waist to hip ratio. My class tried it in Biology once, and one of the girls (who is very overweight) came out in the healthy category, all because she was pretty much the same width in those two areas (I think) :dontknow:

It would be because she had a smaller waist to her hips, as fat stored around the middle is much more unhealthy than fat anywhere else. But BMI and all the rest are a crock of ****, it doesn't take into account bone density, muscle mass, boob weight and bodyshapes so they're inaccurate.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 13

JinnJamez

Well it depends on your age for a start. The average BMI(20 - 25) applies for adults. For kids/teenages average is probably around 18-23. Ages ago I had a BMI of around 17/18 and I eat quite a lot. Having a BMI that low is probably unhealthy, but not as bad as others may think.

Reply 14

Shiv_Shiv

2

Original post by tulips92

My BMI is 16 or therebouts, and my doctor told me she wasn't too worried about it :smile:

This seriously concerns me that GP's are saying it is nothing to worry about! Anybody below BMI 18 is incredibly unhealthy to me and you are causing damage to all your vital organs in your body including your bones!! It is unbelievable to think that people could even think BMI 16 is okay :s-smilie:

Reply 15

Hanvyj

17

Its a pretty bad measure. Pop into your doctors and say "am I underweight?" for a professional unbiased (i.e. not you) opinion if you are worried about it.

Reply 16

Anonymous #1

Original post by Shiv_Shiv

This seriously concerns me that GP's are saying it is nothing to worry about! Anybody below BMI 18 is incredibly unhealthy to me and you are causing damage to all your vital organs in your body including your bones!! It is unbelievable to think that people could even think BMI 16 is okay :s-smilie:

My BMI is 16.2 (I weigh 6 stone 2 at 5"1) and I'm perfectly healthy! It does depend on your frame.

Reply 17

i.am.lost

OP

18

Original post by LipstickKisses

Okay this sounds like an eating disorder, have you spoken to anyone about this?

erm I've never been diagnosed with an eating disorder. Back when I was 14ish, it got really bad and I started having really severe abdominal pains and after months of tests it turned out I was actually eating so little that my digestive system was shutting down and I had early stage pancreatitis and calcium deposits forming basically from disuse of my digestive system, so that was a wake-up call that I have to eat more.

I really don't think I have any eating disorders, I never force myself not to eat and my relationship with food is ok. I guess I just have a low apetite and when I do eat I like healthy foods.

Reply 18

Shiv_Shiv

2

Original post by Anonymous

My BMI is 16.2 (I weigh 6 stone 2 at 5"1) and I'm perfectly healthy! It does depend on your frame.

Sorry but I completely disagree! I work in eating disorders and so to read that people think it is acceptable to be at such low weights is outrageous! You may be 'healthy' now but in the long run you are doing your body harm

Reply 19

IlexBlue

2

I'm 5"6 and just over 100lbs, and as such classed in the BMI chart as "really underweight." But I still have a fairly decent figure and appropriate "fleshy" areas, so it's a bunch of nonsense. :colonhash:

There are so many varying factors, it's nonsense to lump everyone in the same category just because the numbers work that way.