How do pallid, blotchy skin, thinning hair and brittle nails sound?
Being underweight is bad for you. It’s bad news for your health now and for the future. The consequences include: • Lack of energy – being underweight can leave you feeling drained and tired. Not very useful if you’re trying to revise for exams, play sport or go out with your mates. • Nutritional deficiencies – if you’re underweight, you may be suffering from a lack of the vital nutrients your body needs to grow and work properly. Calcium, for example, is crucial for growing young women because it helps to develop strong and healthy bones. If you don’t get enough calcium, you risk having osteoporosis (fragile bone disease) later in life. Iron is also crucial for good health. After your period starts, you lose more iron through your menstrual blood. Other nutritional deficiencies could leave you with unhealthy skin and brittle or thin hair. • Weakened immune system – your immune system is not 100% when you’re underweight, so you’re more likely to catch a cold or the flu and other infect
