Anorexic BMI Calculator (2024)

FAQs

What BMI is most anorexic? ›

A BMI nearing 15 is usually used as an indicator for starvation and the health risks involved, with a BMI <17.5 being one of the DSM criteria for the diagnosis of anorexia nervosa.

Traditionally, individuals had to be below 85% of their ideal body weight to receive a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, a disorder characterized by restrictive eating, over-exercising, distorted body image and intense fear of weight gain.

A normal BMI for an adult is 18.5-25. Above that you are overweight and below that you are underweight. Adults with anorexia have a BMI below 17.5. If you are under 18 years of age, normal weight is assessed by using special age-related BMI charts.

BMI <18.5: underweight. BMI 18.5–24.9: normal weight. BMI ≥25.0: overweight. BMI ≥30.0: obesity.

Based on these figures a mean BMI of 12 as the lower limit for human survival emerges - a value first proposed by James et al (1988).

In anorexia, death from organ failure or myocardial infarction is fairly common (up to 20 percent of cases end this way) and tends to happen when body weight has fallen to between 60 and 80 pounds (although it can occur at any time).

In individuals identified by screening as at risk of malnutrition, the diagnosis of malnutrition should be based on either a low BMI (<18.5 kg/m²), or on the combined finding of weight loss together with either reduced BMI (age-specific) or a low FFMI using sex-specific cut-offs.

A BMI below 13.5 can lead to organ failure, while a BMI below 12 can be life-threatening.

Is a BMI of 15.8 bad? ›

Taking a Closer Look at BMI

Underweight: BMI below 18.5. Normal: BMI of 18.5 to 24.9. Overweight: BMI of 25 to 29.9. Obese: BMI of 30 or higher.

AN patients need 5,000–10,000 excess calories to gain a kg of weight, so a 35-kg patient needs about a 1,000 kcal/day (30 kcal/kg) to maintain her weight and a minimum of 2,000 kcal/day to gain weight. Later in refeeding, it is possible to gain about 1–1.5 kg/week for inpatients and 0.5 kg/week for outpatients [6] .

The Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale (EDDS) is a 22-item self-report scale for adolescents and adults (ages 13-65 years old) that simultaneously accesses for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder by asking the respondent about body image, eating habits, and compensatory behaviors over the last 3- ...

Defining severity in anorexia nervosa (AN) is a significant challenge, therefore in 2013, the DSM-5 [1]—in line with the new specifiers for mental disorders—introduced body mass index (BMI) specifiers, including mild (i.e., BMI ≥ 17), moderate (i.e., BMI between 16 and 16.9), severe (i.e., BMI between 15 and 15.9), and ...

If your BMI is less than 18.5, it falls within the underweight range. If your BMI is 18.5 to 24.9, it falls within the Healthy Weight range. If your BMI is 25.0 to 29.9, it falls within the overweight range. If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the obese range.

for hospitalization:

BMI < 13 is an indicatior for certification under the Mental Health Act if the patient refuses admission although BMI < 13 alone is not enough for admission.

Can a low BMI affect my fertility? Yes. Having a BMI below 18.5 is classed as underweight, which can make it harder to get pregnant. Having a low BMI can also cause your periods to become irregular or stop.

Atypical Anorexia Symptoms

An intense fear of gaining weight or fear of being in a larger body. A drive to change one's weight, body size or shape, at any cost. Dissatisfaction with one's body size, shape or appearance, a distorted body image or body dysmorphic disorder. Low self-esteem, mood swings, anxiety or ...

What is an unsafe low BMI? ›

Risks of being underweight (low BMI)

If you are underweight (BMI less than 18.5kg/m2), you may be malnourished and develop: compromised immune function. respiratory disease. digestive diseases.

The American Dietetic Association (ADA) defines the ideal body mass index (BMI) as between 20 and 25. Thus, anyone below that range would be considered underweight and those with a BMI from 18.5 to 17.5 extremely underweight.

Participants whose BMIs were between 40 and 49.9 were more than twice as likely to die during the study period than those whose BMI was in the optimal range of 22.5 to 24.9.

Being underweight can cause you to not have a period. This commonly occurs in competitive athletes and women with eating disorders. Women need at least 22% body fat to menstruate regularly. 11 Having a BMI of 18.5 or under can impact your period.

Your body can meet the majority of your calorie requirements from stored fat, but total starvation is fatal in 8-12 weeks, regardless of initial body weight. Within one or two days of your last meal, your body will have exhausted all the glycogen stored in the liver and muscles.

Although PCM can be diagnosed when the BMI is ≤ 18.9, it should be noted that the elderly are at increased risk of death when the BMI is ≤ 21. 2 Therefore, the provider should ensure that the elderly have adequate caloric and protein intake so that the BMI is above 21.

Listing 5.08 indicates that a person is disabled when their BMI is lower than 17.5 due to weight loss caused by any digestive disorder, such as IBS and liver disease.

If the patient can't eat enough to regain or maintain weight, doctors and other treatment team members may recommend medical refeeding, which involves inserting a tube through the patient's nose down into the stomach. This tube then can carry nutrition directly to the stomach.

What to do if you are severely underweight? ›

Eat - Eggs, lean meat, fish, pulses, sprouts, and dairy products that rich sources of proteins. Fish such as tuna and mackerel are rich in oil and are one of the best ways to increase weight. 4. Weight Gain Supplements- Another way to go about this is by including some additional supplements in your diet.

Anorexia Nervosa Definition

Weight loss that amounts to a weight that is 85 percent of normal weight or failure to grow and gain weight that results in a weight less than 85 percent of normal weight meets the criteria of anorexia nervosa.

Your body mass index, or BMI, is the relationship between your weight and your height. A BMI of 20-25 is ideal; 25-30 is overweight and over 30 is obese. If your BMI is under 18.5, you're considered underweight. If your BMI is 18.5-20, you're a bit underweight and can't afford to lose more.

Health Problems Associated With Underweight

Having underweight, as is the case with a BMI of just 16, could cause a number of health problems. It could cause hair loss or thinning, skin dryness, fertility problems, increased osteoporosis risk or a weakened immune system so you may get sick more often.

The best measure of whether you are a healthy weight is the body mass index (BMI). This is calculated using your weight and your height. In adults, a healthy weight range is a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9. If your BMI is under 18.5 then you would be considered underweight.

The average amount of calories a person with anorexia nervosa eats is 600-800 calories a day. Some even starve themselves. A person can also be affected by another disorder called Bulimia Nervosa at the same time.

The Anorexic Diet Explained

In order to lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories daily. Although the recommended minimum calorie requirement is 1200 for women and 1500 for men, the anorexic diet aims to keep calories under 800 a day.

A 1,200-calorie diet is much too low for most people and can result in negative side effects like dizziness, extreme hunger, nausea, micronutrient deficiencies, fatigue, headaches, and gallstones ( 23 ). Furthermore, a 1,200-calorie diet can set you up for failure if long-term weight loss is your goal.

Anorexia nervosa may be mild and transient or severe and persistent. The first indications that someone is developing anorexia nervosa may be a subtle increased concern with diet and body weight in a person who is not significantly overweight.

How do you determine the severity of anorexia? ›

The diagnosis requires a significantly low weight and the severity of disease is based on body mass index (BMI) in adults with mild disease having a BMI of greater than 17, moderate a BMI of 16 to 17, severe a BMI of 15 to 16, and extreme a BMI less than 15.

This is also an important reason not to weigh too often: daily weighing is common in anorexia, but weekly weighing (or twice-weekly at most) is to be preferred once recovery begins.

Conversely, blind weighing involves the therapist not sharing the patients' weight with her or him. When patients are blind weighed, they are usually asked to step on the scale backwards and the weight is not explicitly discussed [3].

If your BMI is less than 18.5, it falls within the underweight range. If your BMI is 18.5 to 24.9, it falls within the Healthy Weight range. If your BMI is 25.0 to 29.9, it falls within the overweight range. If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the obese range.

In short, 14 is way too low. You're underweight. Don't think it's a good thing to be skinny cause your body needs energy for normal basic metabolism. How long would someone with a BMI of 15 survive?

Infrequent Periods

The greater your BMI (particularly in the obese range over 35), the more likely you are to miss your period. It is even possible to stop bleeding altogether, a condition known as secondary amenorrhea.

If your BMI is: under 18.5kg/m² – you are considered underweight and possibly malnourished. 18.5 to 24.9kg/m² – you are within a healthy weight range for young and middle-aged adults. 25.0 to 29.9kg/m² – you are considered overweight.

Low Body Weight

The Academy of Eating Disorders recommends inpatient treatment for anyone at or below 75% of their ideal body weight.

This beauty ideal became de rigueur in the industry; the average runway model has a body mass index (BMI) of 16, which the World Health Organization classifies as severely thin.

Audrey Hepburn- 5'7- 110 lbs- BMI 17.2- Underweight **There is a lot of controversy over Audrey's weight, she is quoted saying she never went over 103 except for when she was pregnant, but the most...

How much should a 5'2 female weigh? ›

A BMI below 13.5 can lead to organ failure, while a BMI below 12 can be life-threatening.

Having a BMI below 18.5 is classed as underweight, which can make it harder to get pregnant. Having a low BMI can also cause your periods to become irregular or stop. This can be a sign that you are not ovulating (releasing an egg from your ovary each month), which is needed to get pregnant.

After about 1 year of age, BMI-for-age begins to decline and it continues falling during the preschool years until it reaches a minimum around 4 to 6 years of age. After 4 to 6 years of age, BMI-for-age begins a gradual increase through adolescence and most of adulthood.

Up to 8% of women with anorexia won't have pure amenorrhea, as they will have their periods sometimes.

Rapid weight loss diet is a type of diet in which you lose more than 2 pounds (1 kilogram, kg) a week over several weeks.

Women that have a low BMI produce a reduced amount of estrogen which can lead to an abnormal menstrual cycle. Amenorrhea, or the lack of a menstrual cycle, is a result of a low BMI.