What Are the Health Risks of Being Underweight?
The National Institute of Health uses body mass index (BMI) as the standard measure of body fat, with a normal range of between 18.5 and 24.9. This means that a person with a BMI below 18.5 is considered clinically underweight. With the growing concern over the dangers of obesity, it’s hard to imagine that being thin could also pose health risks. But people who are underweight may be vulnerable to equally serious medical issues.
