Calmfident Team, March 28, 2023
In a study utilizing graphic matching tests, researchers surveyed 435 university students in the Beijing area and found that 72.8% of female students wished they were thinner.
However, the majority adopt unhealthy weight loss plans to achieve their ideal weight goals, such as strict dieting and extreme dietary combinations.
Such methods have impacts on women's psychological and physical health and can even lead to early amenorrhea.
But why does weight loss lead to amenorrhea?
Why Does Weight Loss Lead to Amenorrhea?
Amenorrhea refers to the absence of menstruation for three months or more after the onset of menstrual periods. Normally, women experiencing amenorrhea after the age of 40 is considered primary amenorrhea.
The regulation of a woman's menstrual cycle is closely linked to the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis. The gonadal axis refers to the feedback regulation of sex hormones on target organs, including the regulation of the hypothalamus, pituitary, and ovaries.
Body fat is a necessary condition for maintaining normal ovarian function, and the cholesterol in fat is an important raw material for hormone synthesis in the body. Thus, fat is essential for female sexual maturity.
A girl's body fat percentage must reach at least 17% to trigger menarche, and a woman's normal menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and lactation require a body fat percentage of at least 22%. Long-term excessive dieting can reduce body fat content below the normal BMI range (18.5~23.9kg/m2 for adults).
At this point, the body coordinates to use the remaining energy for the metabolism of vital organs such as the heart and brain, while shutting down some functions, such as menstruation, leading to amenorrhea.
Therefore, women should consume more protein and fat during their menstrual period to provide energy and nutrients for the normal functioning of body parts.
Besides protein, insulin also affects normal physiological phenomena in women. Insulin is involved in glucose metabolism, which is very important for maintaining normal ovarian function, and excessive dieting can negatively affect pancreatic function.
In addition to causing early amenorrhea, excessive weight loss can have other serious effects on women's bodies, including:
Osteoporosis: Excessive weight loss can lead to insufficient estrogen, and unable to maintain normal bone density, making women prone to osteoporosis and even fractures.
Memory Decline: The main energy source for the brain comes from fat. When the body's fat intake and storage are insufficient, brain cells can be damaged, affecting memory function.
Gastric Ptosis: Weight loss can lead to insufficient fat to support the stomach, causing changes in the tension of the abdominal wall and leading to gastric ptosis.
Hair Loss: Insufficient body fat and protein can lead to hair loss. Additionally, a lack of iron intake in the diet can cause hair to lose its lustre, becoming brittle and dry.
Uterine Prolapse: Without adequate protection, the uterus can easily descend from its normal position along the vagina, leading to uterine prolapse. Severe cases can lead to cervical infection or even cervicitis.
Anemia: Unbalanced nutritional intake leads to insufficient intake of hematopoietic substances such as iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12; eating less also results in a lower basal metabolic rate than average, thus slower gastrointestinal movement, less stomach acid secretion, affecting nutrient absorption. These are the main causes of anaemia.
Therefore, women should pursue healthy weight loss through a reasonable diet and moderate exercise, avoiding irreversible physical damage in the pursuit of being "thin."
Resource:
[1] Wang Kui: Why Do You Keep Saying You Need to Lose Weight When You're Not Fat? Weight. (2020, December 4). Retrieved January 15, 2022, from https://www.sohu.com/a/436237791_115479
[2] Amenorrhea_Baidu Encyclopedia. Baidu Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2022, from https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E9%97%AD%E7%BB%8F/545691
[3] The Endless Diary. Website Optimization and Promotion. (n.d.). The Harm of Excessive Dieting to the Body. Zhihu Column. Retrieved January 15, 2022, from https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/24922679
