“Is being underweight bad?”
My daughter is underweight, and no matter what she eats she doesn't gain a single pain. I know that this could be that she has a great metabolism-but she's below the average BMI for her age. She's 13 years old. Can being underweight be bad for her health?
5 Answers
This depends on how much below BMI she is. Some children have fast metabolisms while others may need to have an endocrinology work-up to explore any possible thyroid issues. If her TSH levels are normal and she is healthy otherwise, I would not be concerned.
Yes, she needs her thyroid checked.
Being underweight may be normal due to the teen's genetic makeup or it could be a sign of disease. She needs to be seen by a physician for a history and physical and some lab tests which will likely tell you whether your daughter's weight is normal for her or not.
If she has a normal physical exam and plenty of energy and growing appropriately in height and no other complaints, being svelte is fine.
Is she eating enough calories? If she has steadily gained and not lost weight this is usally ok. If she is so underweight, this can delay puberty and could be bad for her health
