by ghchealth on Tue Mar 28, 2006 2:33 pm
The most obvious response to this question is that, for most people, being overweight poses the most health risks. Obesity is often associated with diabetes, heart disease, joint disorders, and a whole host of other problems. Many times, being underweight is the result of either eating disorders or of some other condition that makes it difficult for the person to maintain a healthy weight. This can be as serious as or more serious than being too heavy. Keep in mind that many factors such as muscle mass, body fat, bone density and others can all come into play here. People that suffer from being severely overweight, especially from eating disorders, can experience hormone problems as well as whole host of other problems if the body begins to break down from lack of nourishment. If you are concerned that you may be very underweight or very overweight, I would strongly suggest consulting with a chiropractor, naturopath, or some other type of physician that is experienced in nutritional counseling. It is important to determine whether there are other conditions that may contribute to any weight problems and also to evaluate the overall health of the individual. In this area, overbroad generalizations can be misleading if they cause you to think too narrowly about the health of the body.
