How Being Too Skinny Damages Your Health

Most people assume that being skinny is healthy…well certainly it has to be healthier than being fat, right? Wrong! Being too skinny has just as many health risks as being too fat and unfortunately not enough media attention for the skinny guy to know about it.

For starters, even though you would like to believe that you are too skinny exclusively because of genetics, the fact is that you probably aren’t eating enough which means your body isn’t getting enough nutrients to maintain proper cellular function. This coincides with a lowered immune system which opens the door for being susceptible to a myriad of viruses and other illness and taking longer to heal than most people.

Next on the list is the risk of osteoporosis which is a condition of thin, porous bones. As you age and muscle tone decreases, your bones will become particularly vulnerable to breaking because they are too thin and do not have adequate support from your muscles to protect them. It is important to increase your calcium, vitamin D and magnesium intake as well as increase weight bearing exercise in order to prevent and counteract osteoporosis and maintain strong, healthy bones throughout your life including in your old age. You don’t want to spend your final days in and out of the hospital, wearing casts and/or sitting in a wheel chair, do you?

Anemia is another common health problem in those who are underweight. Its main cause is not eating a healthy balanced diet that is rich in iron (lean red meat, fortified cereals and green leafy vegetables are your best sources). Anemia is characterized by decreased blood cells and symptoms may include: shortness of breath, fatigue and chest pain. Please check with a doctor as soon as possible if you are experiencing any of these symptoms and be sure to include more of the foods listed above in your diet. The iron naturally occurring in food is more easily assimilated in the body than iron in a vitamin pill, so keep that in mind.

Other health risks associated with being underweight are varied. Most hormones in your body, including sex hormones and those necessary for proper brain function, need fat to be properly transported throughout your system. Even though your main goal is adding lots of hard muscle to your body, chances are that your body fat is also very low and may need to be improved as well (don’t worry, you won’t be “getting fat”, the muscle will all that anyone notices). Bodybuilders love to sculpt down to a 4% body fat (which is about the bare minimum for survival), but they usually only do this for competition because having a little more fat on your body is actually much healthier. Also, you will have a difficult time adding muscle to your frame if you are starting out with a body fat percentage this low. You should strive for a range of 6 to 17%, especially if you intend to increase your physical activity level.