BMI/Numbers/Weight Triggers - "Anorexic" weight? confused.

plastic rose · 21-07-2007, 06:13 AM

Mkay, I am confused.

I always thought the guideline for an Anorexic weight was a Body Mass Index 17.5 or lower. But, my psychiatrist said that it's 15% less than your lowest normal weight. So that would be 15% of 18.5 which is 15.7! Even if you round it to the nearest whole number, it's a lot less than what I thought the guideline was. So... is he right? Is that what the doctors REALLY use? Because if so, it's a lot lower than I realised, and I would be right on the borderline. I'm just curious.

Sarah. x

-Tough-Cookie- · 21-07-2007, 09:01 AM

Its both - it depends on the person. 15% on me would have been a 12lb loss as i'm only small so never weighed that much really (in comparrison to someone tall - i was in promportion not thin) The loss of 12lbs wouldnt even have out me at 17.5 (about 18. something actualy) so though that wouldnt have been in an anorexic bracket it was dangerous for me to loose the 12lbs so quickly and in an unhealthy way.
So if id seen a dr they could have used the 15% to diagnose me.
Ok?
Now with you 'coz you were tiny anyway they would normaly use the 17.5 thing as an indicator of anorexia because even though thats less than a 15% decrease being under a BMI of 17.5 means your body cant function properly.

Does that make sence/answer your question?

plastic rose · 21-07-2007, 10:19 AM

Oh so you have to have LOST 15% of your NATURAL weight? That makes sense. I wasn't tiny before my ED (well nor do I think I am now but I mean even objectively I know I wasn't.) I weighed somewhere between 130-140lbs before my ED, was a size 12-14, and was curvy. So i've definitely lost more than 15% of that weight... so does that mean I fulfill that criterion? It's confusing.

oedipus · 21-07-2007, 02:04 PM

I think you do ^^
x

Starburst · 21-07-2007, 04:21 PM

No it's 15% under ideal body weight for your height, age and sex. It's what they use for under 18s.

As an after thought:
I was diagnosed with anorexia even though I was having periods as I mensturate until I get as low at 6 stone.

-Tough-Cookie- · 21-07-2007, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plastic rose

Oh so you have to have LOST 15% of your NATURAL weight? That makes sense. I wasn't tiny before my ED (well nor do I think I am now but I mean even objectively I know I wasn't.) I weighed somewhere between 130-140lbs before my ED, was a size 12-14, and was curvy. So i've definitely lost more than 15% of that weight... so does that mean I fulfill that criterion? It's confusing.

Yes.

-Tough-Cookie- · 21-07-2007, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starburst

No it's 15% under ideal body weight for your height, age and sex. It's what they use for under 18s.

As an after thought:
I was diagnosed with anorexia even though I was having periods as I mensturate until I get as low at 6 stone.

I menstruated at a weight that low as wel...i didnt loose mine till my BMI was 15...

*Beth* · 21-07-2007, 08:01 PM

I think it completely depends on the doctor.

My Psychiatrist said that the strict BMI is 17.5 and under, no matter what your previous/natural weight, and you have to have the other symptoms, including loss of menstruation,otherwise it goes down as EDNOS.

However my GP classes a BMI of under 20 as underweight, and i took a nose at my medical records, and he'd recorded me as anorexic at a BMI of 17.8 and still having periods.

According to the DSM-IV though, it's less 15% of the normal weight for under 18's, and a BMI of less than 17.5 for adults.. both with loss of periods.

surprising mystery · 21-07-2007, 08:07 PM

Does this mean that automatically if you have disordered eating and your weight drops to give a BMI of lower than 17.5 you have ED-NOS?

ps I have had periods at a BMI of 15.9 they were irregular but still. I dont think I will ever loose my periods however, now, I will never know cos I have the implanon and a progesterone only pill.

random.swirls · 22-07-2007, 08:58 AM

^ umm I think if you are over 18 and your bmi is under 17.5 then you would fit the weight criteria for anorexia not ed nos.

A point to go in with is that only recently has 18.5 become an acceptable weight when I was younger anything between 18.5 and 20 was underweight below 18.5 and you were getting into dangerous levels.

surprising mystery · 22-07-2007, 09:43 AM

I am like a few days away from 18 lol! but I dont have periods but that is b/c of the type of contraception I use.

Hmm s'all interesting

Lil'MissLaLa · 22-07-2007, 10:38 AM

mm.. this is an interesting thread. My periods never stopped even when my bmi got down to 14ish. they only stopped wen i was in the unit being refed (which i thought was weird in itself) but yeah, im diagnosed with anorexia and not ednos. I think my main denial of anorexia was coz i thought u *had* to have lost ure periods for tht diagnosis. am i right in thinking drs vary in their assessment of it?
xx

ickle-duckling · 22-07-2007, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by random.swirls

A point to go in with is that only recently has 18.5 become an acceptable weight when I was younger anything between 18.5 and 20 was underweight below 18.5 and you were getting into dangerous levels.

Yeah - when I went to see my doctor she told me that my BMI should be above 20 to be 'healthy'.

plastic rose · 22-07-2007, 11:16 AM

Yeah doctors really differ. My psychiatrist told me I was "close" to being Anorexic, and that "if you're right and you wouldn't have periods were you not on the pill then you WOULD be Anorexic." So he obviously plays by the book, and follows the criteria, but he is still taking it very seriously, he just hasn't given me (as far as I know) a formal diagnosis.

It's useful diagnostically in that if your periods have stopped, they know your body is starting to really not cope with your low weight. But you shouldn't HAVE to have lost your period, any doctor who knows about Anorexia will tell you that you can die from it before you've lost your period. Its a guideline.

plastic rose · 22-07-2007, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ickle-duckling

Yeah - when I went to see my doctor she told me that my BMI should be above 20 to be 'healthy'.

My doctor told me it was 18.5. They all seem to differ on opinion.
However I know people who have a BMI of 18 or lower, totally naturally and they are completely healthy and eat like horses! Whether or not your weight is putting you at danger or is healthy really, really depends on the individual. Which is why they look for all the other signs too.

-Chelsey- · 22-07-2007, 08:53 PM

My periods stopped at around 18.7, which is strange, but for under 18's, how do you know what youe "ideal" weight would be?

surprising mystery · 22-07-2007, 09:07 PM

Oh yeah, I remember that at Darwin now, they said I was in the bottom 1% I think, but my BMI was 15.9.

-Chelsey- · 22-07-2007, 09:15 PM

I've found those charts always are wrong on me, I'm naturally heavier for no apparant reason, therefore its always been harder to judge it correctly.

Personally I think the guidelines for anorexia are a load of tosh, Most doctors take them as fact, and as many people don't stop their periods till sometimes obviously low weights.. Tw***

surprising mystery · 22-07-2007, 09:22 PM

I agree, ^^ cos I am sure if you loose weight more gently, even though its still below a BMI of 17.5 surely some people can still get periods, albeit light and irregular. But I believe the 'guidelines' say you have to have missed 3 consecutive cycles.