How Thin Is Too Thin?

[Kabula]

Take her to a local clinic for a full blood test, urine, exact height, weight and stool evaluation.

Let a M.D. make a recommendation.

A clinic does not charge much, probably around $100.

I also recommend a HIV and Syphilis test.

The problem could be from fungus, parasites or even worms.

If her ribs show it could be an eating disorder and she would need immediate medical attention at a hospital.

[maderaroja]

With only height and weight factors, you cannot calculate BMI. You can only compare height to weight. To calculate BMI correctly, you must measure the amount of muscle mass and compare it to fat mass as percentages of body weight. You are missing two factors. Back to school!

[givenall]

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Follow Sheryl's advice and check her height then calculate her exact BMI.

If she is underweight, then just have the appropriate sized silicon breast implants inserted.

Problem solved.

Or eat a lot of kfc, mcidi or BK. in no time will be over weight

[Tony125]

Ethnic Differences in BMI and Disease Risk

HSPH FEATURES

HIV/AIDS

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Ebola

African officials strategize on Ebola crisis with HSPH expertsThe chance of developing diabetes, heart disease, and other weight-related health risks increases with increasing body mass index (BMI). But there’s strong evidence that at any given BMI, these health risks are markedly higher in some ethnic groups than others.

The Nurses’ Health Study, for example, tracked patterns of weight gain and diabetes development in 78,000 U.S. women, to see if there were any differences by ethnic group. (1) All women were healthy at the start of the study. After 20 years, researchers found that at the same BMI, Asians had more than double the risk of developing type 2 diabetes than whites; Hispanics and blacks also had higher risks of diabetes than whites, but to a lesser degree. Increases in weight over time were more harmful in Asians than in the other ethnic groups: For every 11 pounds Asians gained during adulthood, they had an 84 percent increase in their risk of type 2 diabetes; Hispanics, blacks, and whites who gained weight also had higher diabetes risks, but again, to a much lesser degree than Asians. Several other studies have found that at the same BMI, Asians have higher risks of hypertension and cardiovascular disease than their white European counterparts, and a higher risk of dying early from cardiovascular disease or any cause. (2-4)

[thejcb]

44kg and her height is about 160cm ?

Sounds extremely good to me, not many like that anymore.

If you don't want it I'll take it, I ain't bothered about its boat, only its body !

[JAS21]

Well when my wife was 51 she weighed 44Kgs-45Kgs and she is 162cm tall. At that time we lived in the UK and besides been a gym bunny she played golf three times a week at least. She didn't pick at her food either!

Someone did ask how the hell does she hit a ball that far as she is so tiny. She has remarkably small bones and if your GF has very small bones judging from my experience you don't have a problem. Anyway don't worry as no doubt she will put on weight as she gets older ....................

Edited August 21, 2014 by JAS21

[HughJass]

the nearer the bone the sweeter the meat

[GuyL]

With only height and weight factors, you cannot calculate BMI. You can only compare height to weight. To calculate BMI correctly, you must measure the amount of muscle mass and compare it to fat mass as percentages of body weight. You are missing two factors. Back to school!

BMI is actually calculated by using the following formula: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_mass_index

Interestingly, the average BMI (calculated by researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) for Vietnamese women is only 18.73, it's 21.62 for Thai women, 22.22 in France, 24.76 in the United Kingdom, 27.00 in the US of America and 33.77 in the Kingdom of Tonga!

[attento]

BMI has been discredited as an indicator of a healthy body.. It was never designed for that in the first place.

There is a number of alternatives that can be used. Internal fat stores are the area for real concern.

[Geordie59]

Some people are born to be skinny, some fat.

If she is happy how she then leave her be.

[misterphil]

Buy her some silicone tits then she'll be a few KG heavier.

[Naroge]

Forget BMI and all this other "usually" and "should be".

If she has felt fine for 37 years (and you obviously regard her as mentally stable) just let her go on with her way of living. Why make problems out of nothing.

[Greg Nixon]

Averages are just that and the variances can be considerable. Doctors know this , why do we not know this. There are huge variances amongst individuals. Guidelines are just that guidelines. They are not rules or laws.

Is she happy?

Is she healthy ?

Does it affect any of her bodily functions ?

[elgenon]

Sounds PERFECT to me. Just what I like. All my girls are like that!!! Enjoy!

[Sheryl]

By both WHO and MoPH standards a BMI below 18 in a Thai woman is underweight.

[fishbrando]

http://apps.who.int/bmi/index.jsp?introPage=intro_3.html

WHO classifies a BMI of 17-18.49 as underweight in the "mild thinness" category, which is certainly no cause for alarm.

This page also has a discussion on how Asian populations may need different standards for BMI.

I agree with others in this thread that BMI is a rough guideline at best.

There has been at least one study associating sub-18 BMI with increased mortality, but apparently that study is disputed:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie_restriction#Low_BMI.2C_high_mortality

One of the more famous of such studies linked a body mass index (BMI) lower than 18 in women with increased mortality from noncancer, non−cardiovascular disease causes.^[11] The authors attempted to adjust for confounding factors (cigarette smoking, failure to exclude pre-existing disease); others argued that the adjustments were inadequate.^[12]

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Sounds PERFECT to me. Just what I like. All my girls are like that!!! Enjoy!

[h90]

BMI has been discredited as an indicator of a healthy body.. It was never designed for that in the first place.

There is a number of alternatives that can be used. Internal fat stores are the area for real concern.

using the BMI as indicator is like measuring how wide the tires of a car are and use it as indicator for the quality of the car.

Surprisingly it will be right often. Wide tires mean strong engine means expensive car=high quality.

But a cheap tractor will be in the same group with an expensive Mercedes.

The same with the BMI: A very muscular healthy sporty man will be in the same group with a fat unhealthy one because of the same weight.

I thin Thai lady here puts on a lot fat she will be still OK in the BMI but really she is too fat.

BMI only tells about weight in compare with your height. It doesn't make much sense....

[mommysboy]

Likely to live very much longer than average.

[Aussieroaming]

My wife weighs 46.5 kg and is 164 cm tall. She looks anorexic to me but whenever she fluctuates to 47 kg she tells me she feels fat which is a bizarre statement to make. So technically she is under the safe level.

But she eats twice as much as me and when we exercise together she is full of energy. So she's happy and active, which I guess is the important thing.

[Sheryl]

Very few Thai women are that tall, are you sure of this height?

Thais (and other Asians) tend to round up their actual heights...and Thai women, to round down their weights.

[mommysboy]

We've got a young Thai modelling some clothes for the wife. She's 45kg and 162. Picture of health, although she has to be padded up a bit.

Some people are naturally thin build. Me being one of them. I am 182 and around 71 kilos when out of the gym for a while.

Some women are starving themselves a bit so i understand the concern.

But skinny people tend to live longer.

[Jingthing]

...

But skinny people tend to live longer.

That's what a lot of people think anyway ...

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20090625/study-overweight-people-live-longer

Study: Overweight People Live Longer

But Extreme Underweight, Obesity Linked to Earlier Death

...

Rather, the studies generally suggest that people with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 -- which is considered overweight but not obese -- have a survival advantage over people with higher or lower BMIs.

Hint -- overweight is not the same thing as obese.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Jingthing

[mommysboy]

JT. skinny is not extremely underweight.

[mommysboy]

And figures, well, you know... torture them enough and they'll tell you want you want to know.

[Jingthing]

JT. skinny is not extremely underweight.

Read the article. It sounds like you haven't.

There is more evidence that people who are overweight tend to live longer than people who are underweight, normal weight, or obese.

The results show the overweight (not obese) actually have the best longevity.

Not obese.

Not normal weight.

Not underweight to any level.

You suggested a common myth that underweight people are expected to live longer.

You might be wrong.

I am not suggesting this study (and another referred to in the link) are the final word on this question. But I think it is very well established that the overweight (not obese) have better survival rates in case of heart attacks than normal weight or underweight people.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Jingthing

[mommysboy]

Interesting. It's just that from my own experience of life, thinner people tend to be healthier, sportier, and in my own family the thin ones have outlived the fat ones. And i was sure being overweight was linked to higher risk of heart attacks, strokes and diabetes. But I have an open mind.

Many middle aged people I know perhaps 7 out of 10 of them are overweight.

Perhaps it just about being true to your body type, and in this case it is possible to carry a bit of weight and be perfectly healthy, and be slim and be perfectly healthy.

One thing though a lot of people who are in fact overweight might describe themselves as being just a bit overweight. I worked in clothing and it is amazing how many people completely underestimate their size and weight.

[Jingthing]

Overweight ... above so called normal weight.

Obese ... extremely above so called normal weight.

They are medically two different things.

[manarak]

As I said, a BMI of under 18.5 equals malnutrition and this applies to Thai women and even to women in countries where average size and body build is a whole lot smaller.

A BMI of 17 is seriously malnourished. However I have some doubts about the accuracy of the height given and suspect she is shorter than 160.

My wife's BMI is slightly below 17 (weight: 38 kg, height: 150 cm, checked several times, including at the local hospital). She might have been malnourished in the past, but I can assure you that it is not the case anymore and has not been for more than 12 years. Her maximum weight during this period was 42 kg (after a few months stay in Europe during winter) and she then thought and said that she was fat! Currently, she often eat more than me on a daily basis! Apparently, it's not unusual for Asian women to have a very low BMI, at least, that's what I have noticed around me, but I don't know whether or not it's because most of those women have been malnourished when they were younger (it's quite possible, as many women that I know locally come from poor rural families).

BMI doesn't work well for short persons, even the BMI adjusted for Asians.

A woman that is 1m50 and 38 Kg does not look skinny at all !

[GuyL]

As I said, a BMI of under 18.5 equals malnutrition and this applies to Thai women and even to women in countries where average size and body build is a whole lot smaller.

A BMI of 17 is seriously malnourished. However I have some doubts about the accuracy of the height given and suspect she is shorter than 160.

My wife's BMI is slightly below 17 (weight: 38 kg, height: 150 cm, checked several times, including at the local hospital). She might have been malnourished in the past, but I can assure you that it is not the case anymore and has not been for more than 12 years. Her maximum weight during this period was 42 kg (after a few months stay in Europe during winter) and she then thought and said that she was fat! Currently, she often eat more than me on a daily basis! Apparently, it's not unusual for Asian women to have a very low BMI, at least, that's what I have noticed around me, but I don't know whether or not it's because most of those women have been malnourished when they were younger (it's quite possible, as many women that I know locally come from poor rural families).

BMI doesn't work well for short persons, even the BMI adjusted for Asians.

A woman that is 1m50 and 38 Kg does not look skinny at all !

Indeed. She is slim, but not skinny (IMHO).