What, really, is "too thin"?

When people say this to me, it makes me want to flip a friggin' table.

In my experience, it's rarely out of concern for me (for me, who's very clearly at a very healthy weight for the first time in oh... my entire life, thank you) and more out of insecurity for themselves. Have you ever noticed that the thinner you get, the fatter some other people think that they get?

If you're a healthy weight, please do not give .05 seconds of thought to someone telling you that you are too thin. Too thin is a problem. Your weight loss causing people to examine themselves in ways that they don't like..... is not a problem.

I'm not always a bitter beyotch, I promise. It's just a hot button issue with me, haha.

TABLE FLIP.

For me, one is too thin when you can see the outline of their skull and every bone in their body.

"Curves".....

The most wrongly used word in diet history.

I don't agree with peoples opinions of "too thin" I think it's all about where you feel most comfortable, and healthful. This is a good question you raised.

THIS

If you were on the higher end of the "healthy range" according to the charts, I'd say they're just reacting poorly to change. But you say you're on the lower end of the "healthy range," so I'd ask your doc for an impartial opinion. Body issues can sneak up on you, and you may not be the most impartial observer -- depending on the person, sometimes the lower end of the "healthy range" really is TOO thin. Remember, it's just an estimate -- they had to come up with some numbers, but they by no means fit everyone.
I personally think being able to see upper ribs is scary, but I have ALWAYS had prominent hipbones, no matter my weight. Can you exercise and run around with the kids and go up stairs without losing your breath? Are you strong? Are you eating lots of healthy, nourishing food and staying well within MFP's recommended calorie guidelines for maintenance? Again, those are general guidelines that don't fit everyone, but if you fall at the low end of the spectrum, it's worth getting a medical opinion (to include a real body fat measurement, not just BMI) to make sure you haven't fallen victim to a distorted mind-mirror.

ick.

Around 15% body fat is awesome. Below that, you're probably getting too thin, or at least, you have to be careful or know what you are doing. Above 15%, no one is too thin.

This is something I struggle with a lot. While I have a fairly low BMI (17.9 I think), the only times it's been higher (and we're talking 19 at most) has been when I was eating huge amounts of junk food (9 packs of Gushers a day, sugary juice with every meal, a chai latte, and an enormous slice of cake from the cafe up the street was not unusual for me). I now net about 1550 calories per day, but still get my period, have MORE energy, and don't have any bones sticking out anywhere. I've always had a thin frame - I used to get books on eating disorders for Christmas before I even cared about what my size was, and have always worn a 32AA bra. Having suffered from disordered eating habits in the past, I know that there is a qualitative difference between what I used to do then (skip meals, isolate myself) and how I take care of myself now.

That said, all of what I just wrote could definitely be read as someone trying to justify their unhealthy thinness, and I wouldn't want anyone to interpret my post (or anyone's) as a justification for losing more weight when they don't have to.

Ultimately, I think it's not only up to an individual to decide what's healthy - we're all a bit blind when it comes to being honest with ourselves - but also to gauge their habits on more objective measures (how long does the person think about food or weight loss per day? Has the person ever considered or engaged in purging behaviors? Is the person's happiness dependent on their weight? Has the person's family noticed the individual making excuses around mealtimes? etc.). If the person is thin but physically AND psychologically healthy, then I don't think it's fair of others to dismiss them as being obsessed/disordered etc.

You know, I'm not sure what to do because my hips are a bit bony from my last form of dieting, and yet I still have some fat on my mid-section, thighs, and maybe even my back end. I hope I'm loosing in the correct places! But it's hard to tell...and I'm not exactly sure how I should try and change that. Can you really help where your body chooses to try and get rid of fat? I've been trying to do leg and exercises and stuff to try to remove fat more from where I want it to so I'm not too skinny in other areas, but I'm having troubles. Any suggestions?

I think so many people in this country are overweight, that they don't realize what healthy is. I get that in my family all the time. They get on my case so often about being "too thin", and are usually mean about it. But, by definition, I am the only one of them who is a healthy weight.