Is this healthy?

[Gdom76]

So I live a more or less sedentary lifestyle and I don't really pay attention to what I eat (i.e. whether it is healthy or not) yet I never seen to weigh more than 120lbs (5'10).

I know my BMI says that I am underweight but I've heard that is not a good indicator of health.

Should I try and gain more weight?

[Ridiculous]

It is difficult to say over a forum without being able to see your body frame and proportions. 120lbs can be both underweight, overweight or perfect for someone of your height, depending on how much muscle mass and bodyfat they have and their measurements (chest, hips etc.). On average though I would say for that height it is somewhat underweight, but again that is an average.

Can you give a rough idea of what your bodyfat and muscle mass is? (e.g. see how much skin and fat you can pinch around your belly).

BMI isn't particularly good as it ignores all of these factors. It could, for example, say that someone that is 65% bodyfat is perfectly healthy simply because they weigh the right amount for their height. Conversely it could say someone who is incredibly fit with just 7% bodyfat is obese, because all of their muscle makes them weigh more than what is 'normal' for their height, even though they are actually incredibly healthy.

If you want to gain weight then general advice for anyone is to do it by gaining muscle, rather than just eating more and gaining fat. Very, very few people need to gain more bodyfat, so doing so isn't particularly healthy; if all you do is eat more without increasing exercise then this is what will happen.

Also, a big point that I have ignored up until this point: how old are you?

[AloneOutHere]

Love yourself!! i'm 5'6" and 107lbs and im healthy. and even if your a little under or over, a little chub or skinnyness never hurt nobody.

-If you decide to gain weight, be careful.

[KaraBulut]

120lbs and 5'10" is thin. The question isn't whether you should gain weight. The question is more, "Should you be in better cardiovascular shape?".

Since you describe yourself as sedenary, you could be more active and you could benefit from doing exercise to strengthen your muscles, heart and lungs.

[Gdom76]

I am 18 also I don't think I have much fat on stomach since it doesn't really feel like fat. Also I used to go to gym a lot and run on treadmills (about 4 miles in 40 minutes without much rest) since I sort of enjoy running.

I haven't done that for a 2-3 months and I haven't gained or lost weight since I stopped.

[Austin]

Used to means you don't anymore so no it's not healthy not to exercise. And eating unhealthy food is not healthy regardless of your weight.

[KaraBulut]

Treadmill is cardio which helps condition the heart and the lungs while working the type of skeletal muscle that fosters endurance. It doesn't work the type of muscle that involves strength and balance.

You should add resistance and weight bearing exercise. This helps develop strength, it builds strong bones, and it also keeps the muscles in your spine and abdomen strong so that you don't have back problems later in life. You might also consider something like yoga.

Eating healthy is important for a lot of very good reasons. At the height/weight stats that you are at, body fat isn't going to be a concern. If you strengthen and tone up your muscles, you'll begin to see more balance and what you perceive as fat won't be as much of a focus.

[seeksanctuary]

I'd be more worried about your level of fitness and your nutrition, more than how much you weigh. You can weigh 90 pounds or 390 pounds and still be healthy; you can also be those weights and eat crappy food and not even be able to walk a block.

[Sunsetting]

OK, the superficial me says, dang, i wish i had the underweight problem lol.

the me who knows that i am not heavy at all and am 5'9" and weighs 168 says, it seems that there might be a weight issue here. but to echo what some others said, it's not as much about weight as it is health. i would suggest going to a doctor and get a recommendation for a good nutritionalist who also knows exercise. you'll be amazed at the changes in your energy level and change to your sedentary lifestyle.


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[midwestgirl89]

Well, I think it's important to eat healthy and exercise regardless of your weight. I am guilty of not eating healthy a lot of the time. I'm not overweight when looking at a BMI scale but I have high cholesterol due to family history, etc. What I found out is that even those who are very skinny can have high cholesterol or have other health issues from unhealthy eating, hereditary risks, and/or lack of exercise.

Check with your doctor on if you're healthy. Getting a yearly physical can help to see where you stand health-wise.

[LOTRgirl]

Honestly, BMI's are good guidelines but you should never follow them to a key- they lack the ability to realize how much you exercise, how your bone structure is, and all sorts of other specific details that contribute to an individual's weight. I'm a nutrition major and it's amazing how different each person's body is from one another's.

My only advice is that if you feel healthy, then I would say you're at a healthy weight. The body is amazing in the fact that if it is hurting, it will tell you, whether that's from heart/chest pains or other signs. If you're starting to feel awful, then listen to your body and it may be time to gain weight. I have a friend who is 5'7 and almost 110 pounds and she is one of the healthiest people I've ever met, even though she is skinny as a rod. She eats when she's hungry and that's it; her understanding of when she's hungry and when she's not is amazing.

So if you feel like you need to gain more weight, that may be something important to take into consideration Some people have smaller bones than others though so if you're happy and healthy, then don't worry about a thing! I agree though with checking with a doctor- do that and then you'll know for sure if you're actually healthy or not

[Bosco]

Also, make sure you're paying attention to the limitations of the BMI. For instance, the defined values for underweight, normal, obese etc. are set to Caucasian men and women. The equivalent ranges for other ethnic cultures are different - for example, it's quite a few whole numbers lower for Asians.

But yea, I'm pretty thin myself and I've been thinking about gaining weight too. But I'm quite the ectomorph so it's quite the endeavor. Like others have suggested, I've just resolved to try to be more active and keep my body in shape instead of focusing too much on the scale.