The Student Room Group

How do you know when someone is "too thin"?

I'm asking this because I get called it all the time. I'm male, 17 (b'day was 2 days ago), and only 5'6.

I used to be a hefty 10 stone when I was 13/14 years old, and I was almost obese I presume.

I lost weight when I was 15 by running and eating less (about 1300 calories a day). I went down to my worst of 7 stone when I was 16 and people would describe me as skeletal and my family were very horrified and said I looked disgusting, ill etc. All I could notice that's changed in my appearance is my hands are very scrawny (I used to get called "chubby fingers" so I'm somewhat proud), my feet, chest, arms and face went very thin.

Since this February I've went from 45kg to 50kg (I'm now 8 stone) but people are not noticing the difference. I don't know if want them to either, because I used to be very insecure when I was fat because people always made fun of me. I've been eating junk food (I never did when I was losing weight), but at the same time drinking milk, eating meat and vegetables and just generally more food.

So, what makes you decide if someone is too thin? How can you tell? What is it about their physical appearance that's not normal? How do you decide when someone looks healthy?

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Reply 1
i really think you should forget about other people, a healthy weight for you would be about 10 stone and any lower you are putting yourself at risk, i suggest that you think less about what others say.

i'm 11.5 stone and people call me thin :-0 So no matter what you weight people will always say stuff, stick at a weight you are comfortable with..people should love you for who you are not how big/little and if they do they aren't worth your time.
They look too thin. Just like looking too fat, but the other way up. :s-smilie: Their clothes are bigger than they should be, their arms/legs/body are thinner than they should be for someone of their height, and so on.

Frankly I'd say go for too fat rather than too thin - it's just healthier. Don't go too far either way (8 stone is still pretty underweight, I'd say) - and ignore other people and what they think looks good and what looks bad, just eat as much food as you should be, exercise as much as you feel is ok for you, and as long as you're not excessively greedy or lazy, you'll end up the "right" size.
HeadShock
i'm 11.5 stone and people call me thin :-0

How tall are you?
Reply 4
BMI calculator?
Reply 5
A mate of mine is 8 stone, bout your height but doesn't look skinny. Less then average sure but not skinny. Maybe you're just being paranoid from a couple of comments?

Then again, everyone puts their weight on in different ways.
Reply 6
If you want to be heavy but not fat, go for muscle. That way you can be as skinny as you want, and still look normal. And you'll have a higher metabolism.
Reply 7
h82think
BMI calculator?


BMI has flaws, it calls muscly people 'obese'.
Reply 8
3232
BMI has flaws, it calls muscly people 'obese'.


BMI has big flaws!!! I happen to know I have bodyfat of 5.7% and Im overweight by its measure :mad:

one is not amused
When they're only visible from certain angles, that'd be the point where I started to worry.
People are too skinny when their head looks out of proportion to their body, eg anorexics.
Reply 11
I am 5'7 and have a weight of 8st 6 and people say that I am skinny. I am not, but they say that I am.

Also to add to the above, when people's hands look out of proportion too.
my guess would be if they look unusually pale, bones are sticking out in strange places etc. i would defo question about their appearance.

the again i think the best way to find out is to check your BMI if its under 18.5 you are considered underweight.

i have a thing about seeing or feeling ribs, it makes me feel a bit sick :s-smilie: but i dont think that can necessarily mean someone is underweight.
I worry when I look at a skinny person and the first thing that pops into my head is "I could break him like a twig" or "I'd crush her if I hugged her". That probably stems from a dislike/jealousy of skinny high-metabolism people though. :wink:
I'm 11 stone and 6'3.

People call me twig. :p:
Reply 15
Anonymous
I'm asking this because I get called it all the time. I'm male, 17 (b'day was 2 days ago), and only 5'6.

Since this February I've went from 45kg to 50kg (I'm now 8 stone) but people are not noticing the difference.


Given that you're a guy and given your age and height, I think you should be at least 9 stone.
Reply 16
^I agree with Bismark.

The one part of people who are not naturally super skinny which will look strange is their upper arm (it looks all bony for some reason). To me, if a friend is eating well, and not completely obsessed about exercise and going to the gym every day, then they're the size they're supposed to be, even if that's what society perceives as too fat or thin.
When you can partly see their ribcage.
Invocation
When you can partly see their ribcage.


Do you mean when you can see someone's ribs through their skin? I find this slightly weird, because I'm about a size 10 (I'm 5'6"), and not my any means skinny, but you can often see my ribs! Many of my friends are the same. So I don't know if that's a good indicator.
maybe you should check what your BMI should be rather than going on other people's opinions.