From the runway to private homes, physicians are examining
the implications of being underweight, which is what thinness foists
upon its victims.
The fearful thing about this phenomenon is that young children,
especially girls, are imitating the trend, with some even starving
themselves in order to maintain the weight of their screen or pop idol.
Yet, experts warn that being too thin has serious health implications
for the young and old, male and female.
Diseases associated with being underweight:
Experts note that psychiatric disorders, disordered eating behaviours
and chronic illnesses such as malignancies, hyperthyroidism, AIDS,
renal disease, and inflammatory bowel disease are almost always
associated with underweight status.
United Kingdom-based Nigerian scientist, Dr. Ayodele Ogunleye, warns
that “the main risk associated with being underweight is an increased
change of osteoporosis” — a disease of bones that leads to an increased
risk of fractures.
In a study he co-authored with Dr. Gavin Sandercock, he avers that
youth with chronic illnesses affecting the absorption, metabolism or
loss of nutrients “may lose a significant amount of weight resulting
from the breaking down of fat and muscle tissue.”
The duo state that risk of osteoporosis is more predominant in
teenagers because they are at a stage when they experience the maximum
deposition of calcium in their bones. “Being underweight might disrupt
this mechanism, resulting in lower deposits of minerals in their bones,
thereby increasing the risk of developing osteoporosis,” they argue.
Unfit, inactive:
The researchers also warn that underweight people are likely to be
less fit and active, which would also increase their risk of heart
diseases. They also say that the immune system, which is basically
designed to fight diseases and protect the body, is also much weaker in
underweight people, and therefore makes them susceptible to illnesses.
Delayed puberty:
The natural process of puberty can be disturbed in both underweight
male and female adolescents, as the onset of puberty may be delayed.
Infertility and worse:
According to reproductive specialists, underweight women run the risk
of being infertile; while underweight teenage girls may have health
problems when they reach adulthood because they have put their health on
the line at a critical stage of their development. Underweight
teenagers are likely to have abnormal menstruation and, subsequently,
reduced fertility.
More hospital visits, untimely death:
A researcher, Dr. Aziza Azimi, warns that being underweight increases
the death risk of women who already have coronary artery disease by
two-fold. He says adults who are underweight are more likely to be
hospitalised frequently than adults who have normal body weight. Again,
Azimi says, underweight teenagers are more susceptible to asthma,
scoliosis, intestinal problems and emotional disorders.
Risk during pregnancy:
Again, gynaecologists warn that underweight adolescents who become
pregnant may develop pregnancy complications, attended by possible
premature delivery and low birth weight. Obstetrician/gynaecologist, Dr.
Kayode Adebayo, once warned that women who have a low body mass index
before they become pregnant are 72 per cent more likely to suffer a
miscarriage in the first three months of pregnancy.
The way out:
Nutritionists advise that a healthy, balanced diet, including some
high-energy foods, can help underweight persons to gain weight safely.
Agbesanwa notes that sometimes, people are underweight mostly because
their diet is not providing them with enough calories. “If diet is the
cause of your low weight, changing to a healthy, balanced diet can help
you achieve a healthy weight,” she counsels.
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