〈総説〉青年期における低体重女性の身体組成と身体機能

概要

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In general, modern women exhibit a desire to be slimmer and to be "good looking". Adolescent females show marked self-consciousness about having a fat body image. Therefore, females of even average or less than normal weight aspire to have an even more slender appearance. The three major structural components of the human body include muscle, fat, and bone. Body weight is the sum total of its parts. Among individuals of the same age and sex body fat exhibits much more variability than lean body mass (LBM) does. It is evident that body fat accounts for most of the variability in body weight. However, LBM and fat are not completely independent entities. Because, a change in body weight that is the result of changes in energy balance usually involves both body compositions. The weight loss and dieting practices of many females may have powerful physiological and psychological effects. Among these effects could be changes in metabolic rate and adipose tissue activity, increased risk for health problems, and compromised reproductive capacity. Therefore, there seems to be a biologic lower limit beyond which a person's body weight cannot be reduced without impairing health status. The present article has reported body composition and physiological characteristics in underweight adolescent females, and then compared these results with those for various fattish group of similar age.