Moderated by
Tracy-Kate Teleke, PsyD, M.A., LMFT
Marriage & Family Therapist
I assist adults and couples in CA experiencing relationship challenges and interpersonal struggles including anxiety, depression, and a myriad of other life challenges.
Top Rated Answers
I think generally it's better to use a objective measure to assess this because it's very hard to be objective about ourselves even if we do not suffer from an eating disorder or body dysmorphic disorder.Hence why it might be worth considering BMI charts (you can find one online if you cannot calculate your own).Generally 18.5 is considered the minimum healthy reading if you are over 18 but of course are slight variations depending on your ethnicity, age and muscle mass.So it is always worth checking with your doctor if you are concerned.
Anonymous
March 19th, 2018 4:23pm
Too skinny in my words are when you starve yourself to be skinny but if your naturally skinny then that is okay.
Anonymous
December 31st, 2014 8:23pm
Each person is different and it's not my place to put that line, that could cause danger to someone. I recommend asking your doctor.
Anonymous
December 31st, 2014 4:18pm
Nothing is too skinny or too fat unless your health is affected. You are perfect the way you are naturally and healthily.
Starving children in third world countries are too skinny. I personally think we should be more concerned about the health and well being of ourselves and people, not passing judgement on what is "too skinny" or "too fat".
Anonymous
January 1st, 2015 8:37am
I don't think there is any limit to any body shape, as long as one is healthy and happy with themselves that's all that matters!
Anonymous
January 2nd, 2015 5:33pm
It's really hard to say exactly how skinny is too skinny because everyone's bodies are different. What may look healthy on you may not look healthy on someone else. However, I believe that if you are literally skin and bones , it may be wise to begin trying to tone and add a little muscle mass.
Anonymous
December 31st, 2014 7:37pm
An important part of living is being healthy. In my life, I have struggled personally with wanting to be skinny desperately despite the fact that I was already skinny. So, the answer I would give is that we all have different body types so be as skinny as you want to be AS LONG as you are still giving your body the proper nutrients it needs to keep you living and looking beautiful. (:
Anonymous
May 15th, 2018 9:43am
Depending on your height your weight should correspond correctly. If you strongly believe you’re over or under weight then make sure you know your correct height and find out how much someone your height should weigh through google or some other reliable source of information.
Anonymous
August 12th, 2019 4:36pm
it depends on your body type, but if you're naturally skinny, then losing weight in general is probably a warning sign. if you have a different body type, naturally, then looking skinny is more dangerous, because you're changing your body type from what your body wants to look like. in general, if you're so skinny that you get tired easily, that you have mood swings, that you develop fine hair all over your body (called lanugo, which keeps you warm when you don't have enough body fat on you), or if you lose your period (if you have a uterus and get a regular period), those are some red flags.
Anonymous
July 11th, 2017 11:39am
There is no thing such as too skinny. People have different images of 'skinny'. But when your body begins to shut down, and you know in the back of your head that something is wrong with your health, that's when you should be alerted.
As long as you are healthy, then skinny is not too skinny. If it becomes a health concern then that may be a point in which skinny is "too skinny." Just remember, different people need to be at different weights in order to be healthy and weight looks dfferently on different people.
Too skinny? Too skinny is when you are at the point that your health is affected; when your organs suffer, your endurance, your brain.
There is a so called BMI index... Look it up... Also, for different body types... Being skinny differs... Give more concern to health than to looks.
Anonymous
December 8th, 2015 7:10pm
I believe that too skinny is when all of your bones are showing through your skin and is well-marked.
Anonymous
December 2nd, 2015 10:57am
It's important to stay at a healthy weight. One method of measuring this is the BMI scale. The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a statistical measure of body weight based on a person's weight and height. Your BMI is a handy indicator to demonstrate if you are in a healthy weight range. A healthy BMI is known to be between 18.5 to 25
Any weight that endangers your well being is negative whether its skinny or the opposite. Your too skinny when you have to force yourself to stay that way in my opinion.
Too skinny is when you aren't healthy anymore because you are too weak and such from being too skinny.
Anonymous
November 16th, 2015 2:23pm
Any weight that causes you to have a BMI under 19 is too skinny. Also, if your weight is giving you issues with how you're feeling, make sure to talk to your doctor about it.
'Skinny' to me is a really broad term. Skinny can be just a really fit person. Skinny can be someone who has high metabolism. But skinny can be someone who has an eating disorder (of course, you don't need to be skinny to have an eating disorder, but that's a whole other topic). You've crossed the line between skinny and too skinny when it becomes unhealthy and you become malnourished.
Anonymous
September 8th, 2015 6:31pm
You can be naturally skinny (with a fast metabolism) but being dangerously skelatal due to unhealthy or disordered eating habits is dangerous :(
I think the point where being underweight becomes "too skinny," is when it becomes unhealthy. I recommend talking with your doctor about what weight would be that limit for you, since everyone is different!
Anonymous
July 20th, 2015 1:26pm
To skinny is when you can see your ribs, you hip bones pop out, and you have a large thigh gap. Before loosing weight or even gaining weight you should check what the average weight is for people of the same height and gender.
Well when you are seriously under weight that could be a sign that you have an eating disorder.
Anonymous
June 17th, 2015 12:14pm
once you see the bones to well on your body. Your eyes may seen a little sunken in ,or even seem like yo have dark circles around them if your not prone to them naturally already.
If it is affecting your health, then you should seek help from a doctor or something. If you are healthy but just thin, don't worry about it. You're beautiful just the way you are.
Anonymous
January 1st, 2015 12:21am
Only a doctor can truly answer that, since our cultural perspective is naturally biased. But I'd say that, if you're little more than skin and bones and you have very little flesh/fat on you then you're definitely far beyond "too skinny."
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