Thinness - Causes and Symptoms

Definition

Thinness is a condition characterized by an excessive reduction in body weight compared to the reference standards. In particular, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines subjects suffering from pathological (ie dangerous to health) thinness with subjects whose BMI is less than 18.5 (note: the Body Mass Index - BMI or BMI from “Body Mass Index ”- is calculated by dividing the weight of the patient, expressed in kg, by the square of the height expressed in meters). The states of thinness are characterized by a negative energy balance, ie the calories consumed are not offset by those introduced with food. This imbalance can result from insufficient caloric intake and / or excessive expenditure of energy or from the presence of some diseases.

Thinness can be constitutional, secondary to physiological causes (increased physical activity and restricted diet) or depend on pathological conditions (endocrine diseases, chronic infections, malignant tumors, gastro-intestinal problems and mental disorders).

If excessive weight reduction is associated with a normal or increased appetite could be a consequence of hyperthyroidism, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, hypopituitarism, malabsorption and amphetamine abuse. The thinness associated with a reduced appetite, on the other hand, could depend on anorexia nervosa, chronic pancreatic diseases and neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract.