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

Reply 20

`R92

12

I'm 19bmi and i think i'm too thin. Like i want to gain a stone so yeh that sounds pretty thin

Reply 21

Lamptastic

14

Have you tried bulking up with weights so you gain weight but get muscular too?

That is very thin tbh...I know I can't say much as I'm a little heavy but you would look tiny compared to me. :erm:

Are you tall?

Reply 22

JordanR

12

Don't worry about your BMI - it's a retarded system anyway. You can have a BMI of <16 and be very healthy, or you can have a BMI of within the "normal" range and be incredibly unhealthy. It doesn't take a lot of things into consideration, such as how you're built (someone who's long legged and with a naturally slim bone structure is never going to be "normal" for their height), as well as what the weight you have comprises of (fat, muscle, etc.).

So yeah, as long as you're healthy, it's nothing to worry about. My BMI would put me at just underweight, but according to my physician, I'm incredibly healthy.

Reply 23

LipstickKisses

15

Original post by i.am.lost

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.

It's the way you said that if you eat more you feel fat that made me think of an eating disorder. Whilst BMI isn't a brilliant indicator, 15.88 does sound too thin. 18.5 is what's accepted as 'healthy'. Maybe you should check this out with a doctor? or try and eat just slightly more?

Reply 24

Lamptastic

14

Original post by i.am.lost

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.

I think if you exercised more your appetite would go up. :wink:

Reply 25

lyrical_lie

19

Oh dear it would appear I'm over-weight.

Which I kinda knew tbh lol. Stupid cheese, why do you make me so fat! When I show you nothing but love!

Reply 26

Anonymous #1

Original post by Shiv_Shiv

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

Original post by IlexBlue

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.

Okay, I don't work in eating disorders but how am I doing my body harm in the long run?

I agree with IlexBlue. I have appropriate fleshy areas too!

Don't other factors have to be taken into account that aren't included in BMI?

Reply 27

i.am.lost

OP

18

Original post by I<3LAMP

Have you tried bulking up with weights so you gain weight but get muscular too?

That is very thin tbh...I know I can't say much as I'm a little heavy but you would look tiny compared to me. :erm:

Are you tall?

Very average height, 5'10" - not too short nor tall. I dunno how that makes a difference to anything though lol

Reply 28

Tilly87

14

you probably dont look unhealthily thin (i used to have a bmi lower than this and I definitely wasn't 'starving'), you're probably just reasonably skinny. if it's completely natural then don't worry about it, (especially if you have grown in height quite quickly) but consider putting a bit more weight on, having larger portions etc, but don't panic :smile:

.

Reply 29

Lamptastic

14

Original post by i.am.lost

Very average height, 5'10" - not too short nor tall. I dunno how that makes a difference to anything though lol

Because if you were shorter it would be less deviant from your 'optimum BMI score'.

I'm also 5ft 10 and you would look so much thinner than me.... solving these things takes time- I have my own poor habits that I am working on.

I'd say start working out and get some more muscle and meat on your bones. Hopefully the doctor can give you an eating plan or something to steer you in the right direction.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 30

Annie72

17

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.

You must be so tiny.I'm almost the same height as you, have a BMI of around 25 and weigh considerably more than you.

Reply 31

lalala_

yes that is very thin :s-smilie:

im 20.6 and i would say im relatively thin at 5ft11 67kg

Reply 32

localfox1000

13

have you considered professional cycling? you'll race up to the climbs with that BMI :biggrin:

Reply 33

houseelf

8

I have a BMI of 15, and I have to say I do think I'm worryingly thin. Don't really know where I'm going wrong though, seeing as I probably eat about 3500 calories a day and exercise more than 90% of my friends... :s-smilie:

Reply 34

-strawberry-

14

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.

I don't want to scare you, but that's terrifying. I'm 5"1 too and I weigh 8 stone 11. If I weighed 6 stone 2 I would look really really underweight. I think you should see the doctor :/

Reply 35

Cinamon

15

It depends on loads of things such as your frame. I have a big frame (can't get my thumb and forefinger around my wrist :frown:

) so if I were BMI 16 I would look really really underweight.

Reply 36

tulips92

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:

I'm naturally very skinny, it's how I've always been, I eat well and I feel healthy. I'm 5ft9 and weigh just under 9 stone.
Personally I think it's just more socially acceptable for people to be chubbier these days, thus making normal/slim girls look seriously underweight.

Reply 37

The Boney King of Nowhere

Original post by Cinamon

It depends on loads of things such as your frame. I have a big frame (can't get my thumb and forefinger around my wrist :frown:

) so if I were BMI 16 I would look really really underweight.

Don't you have an eating disorder? So you probably look really underweight anyway..

Reply 38

Nut.

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:

I think hip to waist ratio is supposed to assess your relative level of fat around your midriff, and as a higher level of midriff fat is associated with more health concerns that fat around the hips, this is what the ratio is used for.
It isn't a substitute for BMI though. A male or female can still be very overweight and get a "good" waist/hip ratio, depending on where they store there fat.
THIS is where BMI comes in (as a general tool- no, it isn't good as assessing body builders, but as a rough guide it can be handy), along with other measurements like around your waist, body fat percentage etc.

To answer the OP, a BMI of 16 is too low, especially given that you are male and should therefore naturally have a higher muscle mass than a female, (muscle weighs more than fat) and even for a female 16 is pushing it in terms of healthy.
"Healthy" in this context means things like having a good bone density and an immune system in good shape, regardless of whether the individual "feels fit and fine". It basically means you are storing up problems four your future.

Watch an episode of Supersize vs Superskinny and listen to Jessen...