At what BMI do adverse health effects occur? | How thin can you be?

At what BMI do adverse health effects occur?

The BMI at which the first harmful effects on health occur depends in part on the physique of the person concerned. A stable and muscularly built body can cope with more weight loss than a petite person who already has a low starting weight. A BMI of less than 18 must be expected to cause health problems.

It is not possible to determine exact limit values at which certain systems can no longer perform their function regularly. Above the BMI limit, heart damage, hormone disorders and other organic and psychiatric secondary diseases must be expected. For this reason, an affected person should immediately begin treatment for eating disorders.

A very low BMI leads to extensive health damage. Direct reactions to the low body weight are dizziness, fainting spells, and constant freezing. The body tries to compensate for the latter with so-called lanugo hair – a hairy down that grows on the back, arms and face.

The reduced weight also reduces the amount of blood circulating in the body. Blood pressure drops, the heart beats more slowly and dangerous cardiac arrhythmia can develop, which in the worst case can lead to sudden cardiac death. The electrolyte and sugar balance is disturbed, which in turn can cause various disorders.

The number of blood cells decreases – leading to exhaustion, a tendency to infections and coagulation disorders. The hormone system is massively disturbed, which has an influence especially on the sex hormones. Women no longer get their periods, men lose the desire for sex and suffer from erectile dysfunction.

If the low BMI persists during adolescence, as is usually the case, puberty may be delayed and size growth may stop prematurely. The bone skeleton also suffers due to the deficient nutritional situation. Osteoporosis occurs more quickly in people with a very low BMI.

The bones lose density and therefore break more quickly. The reduced food intake can also lead to gastrointestinal symptoms such as cramps, nausea and constipation. In addition to osteoporosis, renal insufficiency is a consequence that remains with the patient throughout his or her life.

In addition to the physical consequences that too low a BMI can cause, there are also often psychological symptoms. Patients are under constant emotional stress, which they make for themselves on the one hand and experience from outside on the other. This can lead not only to depression, but also to thoughts tired of life. The suicide rate among people with an eating disorder is increased compared to the normal population.