Health News

Underweight An underestimated health risk

Underweight is a significant health risk

05.04.2011

Underweight is a frequently underestimated risk to health in Germany. The experts as so-called „bad feeders“ designated persons, constantly have to eat a lot to keep their weight at all. In case of stress or illnesses such as gastrointestinal flu, those affected easily lose several kilograms and there are serious health consequences.

Underweight is usually associated with significant risks to health, as a rule, the supply of „essential nutrients and / or trace elements“ is not guaranteed, warn the experts of the German Nutrition Advisory and Information Network. Although underweight in this country is far less common than overweight and obesity (obesity), but overall, the phenomenon of „bad forage-feeders“ also in Germany a serious health risk.

Healthy weight gain heavier than losing weight?
Often, the problems of the underweight are trivialized and underestimated, since in society, mainly the negative health consequences of obesity are discussed and a slender body as generally positive. But for the „bad forage-feeders“ Underweight is a major problem, experts say, such as the nutritionist specializing in malnutrition, Kerstin Bernhardt. Because healthy weight gain is at least as heavy as healthy weight loss, since the causes of underweight are usually more complex than overweight or obesity and the solution for a healthy weight gain usually less simple, said the ecotrophologist. Simply doing the opposite of what nutrition experts recommend for weight loss helps those affected little, warned Kerstin Bernhardt. Because significantly increased amounts of fat and sweet foods are not a solution. Such a diet „not only would be very unhealthy,“ rather „also useless or even harmful“, stressed the nutritionist.

Do not underestimate the health risks of underweight
Often underweight suffer from a prolonged lack of appetite or they eat significant amounts and the body uses the food only inadequately, said Susanne Nowitzki-Grimm, author of the book „Man, are you thin! A program for people who would like to bring a few kilos more on the scales“ towards the news station „ntv“. There are indeed the so-called „bad forage-feeders“, The enormous quantities of food can be shoveled in without increasing, explained the experts. However, according to Nowitzki-Grimm, this is possible „above all (on) a genetic predisposition that one can not influence“, back. The poor feeders must constantly be careful to eat enough just to maintain their weight. It is not possible to gain weight under normal circumstances. The author emphasized that good feeders deposit most of the energy absorbed in food as fat in the body, while poor feeders release that energy in the form of heat. For those affected a serious health risk, as with the underweight usually one „Lack of essential nutrients and / or trace elements“ The experts of the German Nutrition Advisory and Information Network explained. The lack of nutrients, among other things, promotes the development of osteoporosis, impairs muscle function, increases susceptibility to disease and worsens wound healing.

More than one million Germans suffer from underweight
In Germany, according to the nutrition report of the German Nutrition Society, 1.5 percent of women and 0.4 percent of men are underweight, with the Federal Statistical Office's micro census of even four percent of women and one percent of underweight men. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), persons with a body mass index (BMI) below 18.5 are considered to be underweight. The BMI sets the weight in relation to body size and at a BMI between 20 and 25, the experts of ideal weight. In Germany, older people in particular suffer from underweight (mostly due to persistent loss of appetite or damage to the masticatory apparatus), but even with severe illness or chemotherapy patients can lose so much weight that they fall below a BMI of 18.5. However, according to the experts, even young, healthy people may be affected, with a more common hidden medical problem such as a metabolic disorder. However, the nutritionist, Kerstin Bernhardt, according to psychological stress also trigger a loop that leads to underweight. „There are those who eat more in grief, and there are those who do not eat in grief“, explained the ecotrophologist. As a classic example here is called love-heartache, which literally constricts the stomach, the nerves flutter and after the first bites can already arise feelings of satiety. In case of persistent loss of appetite, a shortage of important nutrients occurs relatively quickly and further deficiency symptoms are the result. Those affected often become impotent, nervous or irritable, explained the expert. Overall, according to the experts in this country significantly more than one million people are affected by underweight.

Treatment of underweight by diet change
The treatment of underweight is usually a lengthy process in which those affected learn about months to change their eating habits accordingly, said the author Susanne Nowitzki-Grimm, which also several months in the Swabian Schorndorf „Zunehmkurse“ offering. The Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) also emphasizes the importance of regular and frequent eating, especially in underweight. The diet should essentially be based on plenty of milk, cheese, yoghurt, cream and oil-enriched foods, as well as nuts and freshly squeezed fruit juices, recommends the BZgA. High-fat fish like sardines, tuna or salmon are also recommended based on a recent study by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. Because the researchers have found in an investigation of the health effect of a diet with particularly high-fat fish species that this not only makes you fat, but also keeps you healthy. In the study of the natives of Alaska, the Yup'ik Eskimos, the scientists found that although they were often overweight, but certain diseases were significantly less common than the average of US citizens. According to the researchers, the diet based on high-fat fish had a clear preventive effect on diabetes and diseases of the cardiovascular system. So fatty fish seems to be a particularly healthy way to increase body weight efficiently. (Fp)