Expert: Nafeesah - 4/16/2009

Question
I'm 23 years old, 5'5", 113 lbs. with 10.68% body fat. Here's my dilemma. I used to weigh 220 lbs. About 2 1/2 years ago. I got down to 175 to join the Army. I'm now in the Military (doing great--currently deployed to Iraq), and I'm down to those stats I mentioned earlier. I had an issue this past weekend where the iron pills I was taking (I'm a Mechanic and working on the trucks causes me to bruise easily) constipated me to the point where I was having nosebleeds and had to "go in" to get seen for it. They did some blood work (a CBC) and came back with Iron, B12, and Folic Acid deficiencies. While I will admit that I have some "deeply engrained" habits from my struggle with weight loss, I don't know if I'm "underweight," and the dr. didn't really go into too much detail. He did say that I "fit the bill for anorexia, but need to speak to Mental Health, as he doesn't specialize in that." I have an appointment (against my will) with Mental Health next week. What do YOU think? Honesty is welcomed and appreciated!

Answer
What the doctor said is that your weight and body fat percentage fit the criteria for someone who's anorexic. I would get this checked out because this sounds serious if you've had nosebleeds and constipation. It sounds to me like the yo-yo weight loss and maybe dieting is partially responsible for the nutrient deficiencies. Get these things checked out because any serious health problems can jeopardize your military career and can result in you getting discharged. Whatever the case maybe take care of yourself so you're in good health.