Weight Management for Health and Beauty
Being underweight can be more dangerous to one’s health than being overweight, and the number on the scale does not necessarily dictate health.
We manage our weight for health and beauty purposes, with a high interest in weight loss. This is because of the belief that obesity has a harmful effect on health, leading to extensive research related to weight loss.
Underweight and Its Health Risks
On the contrary, there is less interest in the health risks associated with being underweight, and it is commonly believed that being underweight is healthier than being obese.
However, according to a 2011 study on the “Association between Body Mass Index and Mortality Risk in Over One Million Asians,” being underweight increases the risk of death more than obesity. Specifically, those with an extremely low body mass index (BMI) of 15 or below demonstrated a mortality risk twice as high as those with a severe obesity BMI of 35 and above.
For Koreans, those with a BMI between 22.6 and 27.5 demonstrated the lowest mortality risk, a range that includes average weight to obesity.
Similarly, in about 90 studies on the same topic, underweight individuals showed significantly higher mortality rates than overweight individuals, and even when compared to obesity, the mortality risk was higher for those underweight.
According to a journal titled “Is Being Underweight as Bad for Your Health as Being Obese? Evidence from the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System,” shows that the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes increases with higher body weight. However, for those already suffering from these diseases, the prognosis is better for those with higher body weight, especially as they age.
The Role of Body Fat in Health
This suggests that body fat, more than just an energy store, plays a significant role in maintaining immunity and functioning as an endocrine organ. For men, if the body fat percentage falls below 9%, male hormone levels decrease, and immunity weakens. For women, if the body fat percentage falls below 18%, the secretion of female hormones decreases, leading to various issues such as menstrual irregularities.
According to an analysis of data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, being underweight is likely to be worse or potentially worse for one’s health status than being of average weight, overweight, or obese. However, extreme obesity was found to pose a higher health risk than being underweight.
Health Implications of Obsessing Overweight
Thus, weight does not make a difference in our health indicators. An appropriate amount of fat is essential for the body, and obsessing over the scale number and resorting to extreme diets can negatively impact health.
Along with this, the ratio of muscle to fat is also essential to our body. Even if one is obese, if they have as much muscle as subcutaneous fat, there are often no metabolic problems. Conversely, even if one is of average weight but has a low muscle mass and a lot of visceral fat, they are often metabolically unhealthy. Therefore, maintaining a proper ratio of muscle to fat will be the key to long-term health.
By. Shin Soo Jung
Most Commented