Too Thin? Do You Know Why?
Everyone tells you that you are too thin, that you should eat a hamburger once in a while. That rarely fixes the situation, but many people don’t understand the true reason that you are too thin.
Why So Skinny?
There are many reasons why you may be too skinny. You could be naturally skinny, have a high metabolism or just eat less than most. Certain medications can cause weight loss. Sudden weight loss without trying, however, can be an indication of a medical disorder, and you should consult a doctor.
More often though, being too thin can be attributed to having a low self- esteem and/or body image, which can lead to a having a poor body image and can cause body dysmorphic disorder. Body dysmorphic disorder, in turn, can lead to anorexia or bulimia, both self-induced conditions.
Self-Esteem Plays a Part
Low self-esteem almost always plays a part when someone ends up being too thin by overreacting to having a poor body image. When you don’t feel good about yourself, it can lead to depression or anxiety. That depression and anxiety can then exacerbate the feelings of a poor body image, pushing you to overdo it on your weight loss efforts. If you continue on this path, the next step is almost always an eating disorder.
You often can help yourself reverse your poor body image by employing tactics to boost your low self-esteem. But while self-induced, once anorexia or bulimia take hold, it often takes medical intervention to free someone from these disorders and the consequences suffered from being too thin.
Anorexia and Bulimia
Anorexia is a condition where you diet to the point of near-starvation or exercise excessively because no matter how thin you get, you never believe that you are thin enough. Anorexia is a psychological illness, but it can cause serious physical conditions, such as heart problems, lung problems and osteoporosis.
Bulimia is a type of eating disorder in which you eat a lot of food in a short amount of time and then try to prevent weight gain by getting rid of the food, usually by throwing up or taking laxatives or diuretics. If you have bulimia, you may feel you cannot control how much you eat. To counter your binges, in addition to purging your food, you might exercise excessively, or revert to eating very little or not at all to prevent gaining weight.
There are other conditions that also result in being too thin, such as pica, rumination disorder and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. These conditions, however, have very little to do with the fear of being overweight.
Being comfortable with who you are, as you are, is key to avoiding the pitfalls that lead to being too skinny. Surround yourself with people who have positive attitudes themselves, and who like you for you, not for how you look. Don’t internalize negative feelings or comments about your weight. You can acknowledge the feeling, but try to learn how to then let those feelings go. In time, you will build your self-confidence, allowing you to be happy with yourself and your body, and helping you avoid possible eating disorders.
