Is Being Underweight Really Bad?

[Ada]

During my last physical exam, the nurse told me that I'm 10 lbs. underweight. What does being underweight really mean? Is it really bad? Will I die sooner because I weigh less than I ideally should? ;)

I would like to gain those 10 lbs. Any ideas how? I eat all the food I want and I get more than enough sleep. So what am I doing wrong? Do vitamins really help?

[batang uliran]

Ada:

When they say you are underweight, they mean that for someone of your height, build and sex you are below what the average weight should be which is based on large scale population studies. That being said, I wouldn't worry too much about it. In fact being a bit underweight is better than being a bit overweight. Vitamins absolutely do not work and are one of the biggest hoaxes perpetuated on the public. Aside from treating known vitamin deficiencies, they are probably useless and a waste of money. With regard to sleep, it's important when you are growing (since growth hormone secretion peaks with sleep) but of no help in one's adult years. Getting enough sleep though is vital to proper performance of daily functions - eg. concentration, memory, personality etc.

[BoNiTa]

ada: haay.. me too, that's my problem, i've been underweight since gradeschool pa... it's really frustrating because i never reach 100 lbs. and everytime i gain weight, only my cheeks get bloated

batang uliran: i think vitamins do help because somehow it boosts my appetite...
i'm planning to drink ensure, would this help increase my weight? i'm desperate to gain weight! help! hehehe.. :)

[BadGiRL]

ada: ummm....wanna switch problems? :)

[Kamatayan]

Ako overweight by 80 LBS!!! I need help...

[broom]

bonita..hehe same here! havent reached 100 lbs yet..grabe still waiting for that time! lagi na lang up to 99 lbs..haha! mygawd.. been underweight all my life...

[Ira]

Ada and Bonita: You probably just have a fast metabolism. Good for you. Don't worry about it--being 10 lbs underweight isn't bad at all, and Ada, you don't look like a tingting anyway. No, you won't die sooner.

The only way to gain weight is to take in more calories--3500 calories is equal to 1 pound. Just be sure to get a balanced diet, not one loaded with fat and sugar. Ensure and Sustagen helps. Or appetite stimulants like Buclizine.

[Ada]

Batang Uliran: Thanks for the information! :)

Peps and Badgirl: Wouldn't it be great if somebody invented a way to transfer unwanted pounds to those who want it?

Ira: I don't look like a tingting, tutpik lang? ;) Seriously, all the food I eat seem to go to my lower body. Why is that? I think I'll end up looking like a kwismas tree if I ever gain weight.

[Ira]

Ada: Because women, by nature, accumulate fat on the lower abdomen(tummy), butt, and upper thighs. Men, on the other hand, have them a bit higherin location--we call it love handles.

[BadGiRL]

ada: oo nga e....soon siguro..considering they have this cellasane(tama ba?) the one that eliminates cellulite from ur body...siguro one day soon....fat transfer na hehehehehe

[harley quinn]

Talking about being underweight, how about the extreme---anorexia nervosa? It's been described in America and there actually were a number of TV shows discussing the condition and showing individuals with the disorder. Just wondering, is this an American/Western phenomenon, because of a prevailing obsession with their weight, or is it a medical condition that's akin to depression? Have the doctors here (those based in the Philippines) actually seen patients diagnosed with this condition?

[NewtoN]

anorexia nervosa? 'di ba 'yun yung sakit nila Snooky, Princess D, & Karen Carpenter?

[Ira]

There are a lot of anorexia nervosa patients even in this country. The typical profile of an anorexic, or any person with eating disorder, would be someone in the upper middle classes, with a strong need to excel, and usually, would be in their teens. More and more cases are being discovered in the upwardly mobile classes. Needless to say, environment has a lot to do with pushing a kid (whether male or female, although females predominate by around 10-20x more often) to this problem. You don't hear about them here, because psychiatrists as a rule do not talk about their private patients, and since most patients are well-off, their relatives would understandably pay to keep a lid on such problems. It's not sure yet whether this is a form of depression, but many, many patients with eating disorders have some form of depression.

[This message has been edited by Ira (edited 11-24-1999).]

[Ira]

Cellasene, manufactured by Sundown, is marketed as a food supplement, thereby eliminating the need for FDA evaluation and testing. It contains extracts of ginkgo biloba, sweet clovers, grape seed bioflavonids, dried fucus vesiculosus extract, evening primrose oil, soya lecithin, and natural fish oil. There's a similar product Cellu-Tone, which is a major competitor.

The manufacturer claims that Cellasene's ingredients help maintain the supporting connective tissue underneath the skin and improve blood circulation which are factors associated with the development of cellulite, reduce fluid buildup, stimulate metabolism and reduce localized fats. The manufacturer will not reveal the exact formula, kasi "trade secret" daw, and they're not required to since it is only a food supplement.

Does it work? Since it's not FDA tested and approved, doctors don't prescribe it. It's a herbal remedy, it's most probably safe. But as to efficacy, you'll just have to try it out yourself.

[BadGiRL]

peps: oo nga e! ako din i want that! kahit na 3 more inches lang happy na ako...o sige sige...i'll settle for 2 more inches nalang! *sigh* :)

[grumpy]

all right, kids, enough obsessing about the weight issue. weight is only one aspect of fitness, and a consistent definition of a fit person still isn't there. body fat percentage and body mass index are other parameters that some authorities feel are more relevant than weight in predicting your risk for certain diseases, like heart disease, stroke and adult-onset diabetes.

you can be fit enough to do a triathlon and be "overweight;" you can also be skinny as a rail and have multiple health problems. the whole picture is more important: your blood pressure and heart rate are arguably as important (or to my mind, more important) than weight, BMI or body fat percentage alone.

[Ira]

Ada: What chart did the nurse use as a reference to tell you that you're underweight? If she is using a chart, She DOES realise that the Filipino weight averages are 10% less than the equivalent Caucasian weight average, doesn't she?

[Ada]

Ira,

I'm not sure. I just asked her if I was underweight and she said yes, by 10 lbs. I just took her word for it since I've always been underweight.

[ChiQui]

Grabe.... if only I could be underweight... :) Ada... sabi na nga ba seksi gorgeous babe ka eh... :)

[Ada]

Chiki bebe seksi,

Tse. :P Wala na akong pera pambili ng regalo mo sa Pasko. <;lol>;

Since when is being underweight considered sexy!? :P

[Jonny]

Having SeX aPPeaL is SeXy ;)

Speaking of the weight issue.. How does one make his/her metabolism go faster so, that the fat burns easier??? Besides the usual exercise?

[This message has been edited by Jonny (edited 11-27-1999).]

[Ira]

Try to develop hyperthyroidism. Just joking. No way out but exercise, Jonny.