Showing posts with label ohio university. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ohio university. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Another reason to look beyond weight and BMI

The New York Times reports the results of a study showing that young women who weigh enough to menstruate may still be eating too little to be healthy. Researchers at Ohio University found that bone formation, which is critical in adolescence, may not be taking place even if women get regular periods.

This is relevant because doctors so often use menstruation as a marker of health among those recovering from anorexia. But it's clearly not the criterion to live or die by.

Here's the money quote, to my mind: “Regular menstrual cycles do not reliably indicate that they are eating enough for what they’re expending,” Dr. Loucks said. Read more about it here.