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Here’s why reaching a BMI of 8 is impossible

Here’s why reaching a BMI of 8 is impossible

A BMI of 8 is almost incomprehensibly low. It suffices to say that virtually no human being would be able to reach such a low body mass index.

Sure, some people have extremely low BMIs. However, when you consider that an 8 BMI could be doubled and still be considered severely underweight, you begin to see why a BMI of 8 is completely impossible for most people to reach.

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Why is reaching a BMI of 8 impossible?

A thin woman who has a BMI of 8

Reaching a BMI of 8 is close to impossible for a human because the body wouldn’t be able to sustain life at such a dangerously low body mass index.

Indeed, fatalities have been observed at BMIs 5 points higher than our BMI 8 example.

In fact, doubling an 8 BMI wouldn’t solve the underweight problem and would still place an individual in the severely underweight category.

Is it possible that an unfortunate individual could reach a BMI of 8 in their final days?

Honestly? I don’t know, and it’s not a nice thing to consider. It’s sad that some people struggle with such severe eating disorders, but to the best of my knowledge, nobody could survive at a body mass index of 8.

What hope is there for people with a dangerously low BMI?

A BMI 8 woman showing her slim body

If someone has a low BMI, then they should talk to their doctor so that they can safely gain weight under the guidance of a medical professional.

If your BMI is extremely low, then you should seek immediate medical attention because dangerously low body weights can be life-threatening.

If someone gets the help they need, they might be able to recover from their eating disorder and body image issues.

However, if someone continues to put their life at risk by losing more and more weight, then their odds of survival are greatly reduced.

It suffices to say that someone should get help way before they reach a body mass index that’s anywhere close to BMI 8. 

Indeed, even if you’re slightly underweight, it’s worth talking to a doctor because some people have underlying conditions that cause them to lose weight.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you understand why it’s impossible to reach a BMI of 8 and why BMIs significantly higher than eight can still be dangerous if they’re classed as underweight.

As mentioned, doubling a BMI of 8 still wouldn’t bring a person’s body mass index out of the danger zone, so to speak.