Is weight a good indicator of bad health?

[Anonymous]

I recently from a fairly average weight (145lbs) to something that I consider more ideal (120) at 5'5. I want to lose some more get down to 110 maybe, but everyone I tell that keeps saying I shouldn't, because being too skinny is unhealthy.

Technically 110 puts me into the underweight category, but does that necessarily mean unhealthy?

If I just keep eating well and working out hard, how can I still be unhealthy?

I don't care so much about weight itself but the body I'm going for is kinda like this link link link (girl to the left)

They look healthy to me and I think I'd have to be at around 110 lbs to look like that. I don't want to be unhealthy though and since everyone keeps saying I would be, I'm getting kinda worried

[Lommelun]

Yes, it is.

If you're underweight it is because you're not giving your body enough to sustain itself and you're starting to lose muscle mass and necessary fat reposits. This is unhealthy. The underweight lable was created for a reason. Starving your body affects your brain and nervous system in a bad way and makes your bones brittle. You're also starving your organs and have a higher risk of organ failure.

Another point is that what you say and how you word it is the typical introduction to eating disorders. Nobody starts out to become anorectic, it just happens and you generally don't see it yourself. This is what your friends are starting to think when you tell them your plans. the next step is 100 lbs, then 90lbs, then you're really undernourished and on the brink of starvation.

The pictures you are linking to are all photoshopped BTW. (Believe me on this, I know what I am talking about. I've done thousands of these at work.) Well, maybe the third is just perspective. But nobody have a ribcage as narrow as the first picture, and the second is just silly - so badly shopped that I cringe. The whole body is compressed and stretched.

[Asker]

I wouldn't have though they were photoshopped. I choose them because they don't look professional but well this pic is the same girl from the second and third picture and I don't think it's photoshopped? link

I don't feel like I'm not eating enough. A eat a lot, quantity wise and even calories wise I get to roughly 1500 cal a day

[Asker]

I should get enough nutrients and I take iron supplements (prescription). A typical day would be a big smoothie for breakfast (500 cal), salad with chicken or fish for lunch (300 cal), a glass of juice (150 cal), Soup for dinner (500 cal), Nuts and dried fruits for snacks (150 -250 cal)

What did I say that would make you think I'm at the verge of an eating disorder

[Lommelun]

Not on the verge of a disorder. But this is how it starts, by being healthy and controlling. Then it turns into a game, and a dare. Then a few steps down that road, you stop being able to control it but you dont' see it yourself. Obsessive calorie counting is one of the things you should be careful with.

[Lommelun]

Third picture and the last one supplied are both fooling you with perspective. She is skinny, not doubt about that, but as you say those two are probably not shopped. The two first pictures are definitely shopped though. But what you see in the third and the last pic is distorted by her turning half away and hiding behind an obstruction. You interpret that as her being narrower than she really is. (BTW obsessing over pictures like this is another definite sign of a beginning disorder)

[madhatters4]

so I'm going to be very clear and blunt. the pictures you linked are underweight and unhealthy people absolutely. the second person looks pretty clearly photoshopped.

yes weight is an indicator of health. some people genetically carry more weight or less weight then average and may be healthy but you have to understand your body. and the fact that you weigh 145 and eat well and work out suggests that 110 is not a healthy body weight for you.

please don't take offense but consider looking into body dysmorphia. It is a very real and prevalent disorder particularly among teenagers and young adults... I could be way off base but to me when I hear certain trigger word it concerns me

be healthy (eating, working out) but understand your body and what is reasonable and what isn't. Yes everyone should feel good about their body but you also need to have reasonable expectations for what is good and healthy. I think getting down to 120lbs seems like a relatively healthy goal. I think going to 110 or looking like the girls in the links you posted would be dangerous to both your mental and physical health

[Anonymous]

120 will probably look better. Also, you need to find a healthy lifestyle you can maintain. Healthy food and exercise.

I am a bit over 5'6 and look the best at 125-130. I'm chubby at 145, OK at 135 and gaunt looking at 115. I've spent time at all of those weights and most people would probably agree with this range. Staying at a weight that is unnaturally thin generally requires poor eating habits, which makes you look worse, not better.

[britannny]

It probably is for you. Everyone is different. My body weight naturally stays in the 100-110 lb range. So for ME it's healthy. Eat well and exercise, and you'll be your ideal body weight eventually. It probably won't be as low as 110lbs, but you'll still get pretty slim.

[Zanzibar]

Being underweight is associated with many risks, just as being overweight can. Being 120 pounds for someone your height puts you are a BMI (body mass index) of 20, while being at 110 puts you at 18.5. The ideal BMI for everyone is between 20 and 25. Being below, especially for a girl, puts you at risk for a depressed immune system, loss of your period, anemia and growth issues. But the thing is, your current body weight is not bad at all, your BMI is 24.5, which is very healthy. If you'd like to lose weight, try eating healthier and doing more physical activity. It will decrease your fat and increase your muscle mass, to keep you at a good weight but with a more attractive physique. If you'd like to calculate your own BMI, the formula is [(your weight in pounds) x (705)]/[your height in inches squared]. Remember, you want it to be 20-25!

[Asker]

I'm at 120 lbs right now

[THE_Godfather]

It is to a point. I f you're happy with the way you look & fit into the type & size of clothes (within reason) then you're fine.

I don't like the scale as much as I do the above (happy with the way you look & fit into the type & size of clothes)

A girls weight is subjective. Some girls carry more body fat in their boobs & butt. Add muscle into that equation & it brings me back to, if you're happy with the way you look & fit into the type & size of clothes.

I go to the gym 6 days a week, lift, do 30 min of cardio & run 45 minutes on Saturdays (close to 4.5 miles) & yet I have high blood pressure & my cholesterol is near 200. Go figure. It's hereditary I guess?

[kambo_trick3y]

The girl in your link is a little too skinny to me, Jesus that literally looks like her rib cage is partially showing in the first picture. If she gained about, probably 8-10 pounds she would probably be fine.

Weight CAN give you some indication of health, but it can be misleading.

link

Remember that muscle weighs more than fat.

[RosaliaVanderbilt]

I'm sorry those pictures make me shiver to look at. The girls would be so beautiful if they gained ten pounds, but in those pictures they look like skeletons. Please don't do that to yourself.

[yaddayaddayadda02]

Weight surely is a good indicator of health. But that 2nd pic looks redic. Don't listen to the people who say it is unhealthy to lose weight.

[Anonymous]

Too skinny and yes weight and height are good indicators of health

[NightBlindness]

BMI is a better indicator