The media portray thinness as an ideal, and public-health messages focus on the dangers of obesity. The other end of the spectrum, being underweight, receives comparatively little attention. It is, nonetheless, a significant issue. The latest available Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, from 2003 to 2006, suggest that 1.8 percent of the United States' over-20 population is underweight.
Identification
Doctors assess the appropriateness of your weight using a measure called body mass index, or BMI. It involves dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters. A BMI of less than 18.5 indicates that you are underweight, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Normal weight corresponds with a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9.
Risks
Being underweight can lead to health problems. It can deplete your immunity, leaving you at risk for the flu and other infections, according to England's National Health Service. It can also mean you are not getting the adequate amounts of nutrients your body needs to function correctly. For example, your bones need calcium for strong bones, and being underweight puts you at higher risk for osteoporosis. Anemia, fatigue and difficulty getting pregnant are also possibilities.
Solutions
To ensure higher caloric intake, eat perhaps half a dozen small meals each day rather than two or three big ones, recommends Mayo Clinic nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky. Also, have a beverage half an hour before or after a meal rather than with it, because liquids can quickly fill you up. Coffee, diet soda and other low-calorie, low-nutrition fluids will not help your cause. Choose fruity shakes, smoothies or other substantial drinks. Additionally, if you are underweight, you can afford to treat yourself to snacks, particularly those with nutrients, such as yogurt, granola bars, fruit pies, peanut butter, cheese and nuts. Combine your extra eating with a healthy dose of exercise, as well, so you are building muscle and not just packing on fat.
Pathology
Sometimes being underweight is the result of an eating disorder. The major ones are anorexia, in which patients starve themselves, and bulimia, in which they follow meals--often very large ones--with vomiting, laxative use or excessive exercise. Such conditions involve obsessive thought patterns. A main indicator is being 15 percent or below a normal weight for your height and age, yet still dieting because you think you are fat, according to Boston College. Conquering an eating disorder generally requires medical and psychological or psychiatric care.
Considerations
Weight loss is a particular concern for the elderly and for disabled people, according to Victoria, Australia's Department of Human Services. Maintenance of a healthy weight is crucial because it gives the body a nutrient reserve for times of illness and reduced food intake. Poor nutrition leads to frailness and increased morbidity and mortality. Factors that play in are reduced appetite, inability to shop for food, inability to cook and chewing problems. Caregivers and case workers, according to the Victoria agency, should watch closely for signs of weight loss.
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