Low Body Weight The Academy of Eating Disorders recommends inpatient treatment for anyone at or below 75% of their ideal body weight. This is a general suggestion for medical professionals, not a hard and fast rule.
However, you may be admitted to hospital if you have serious health complications. For example, if: you're very underweight and still losing weight. you're very ill and your life is at risk.
A normal BMI for an adult is 18.5-25. Above that you are overweight and below that you are underweight. Adults with anorexia have a BMI below 17.5.
Hospitalization for eating disorders
Hospitalization may be necessary if you have serious physical or mental health problems or if you have anorexia and are unable to eat or gain weight. Severe or life-threatening physical health problems that occur with anorexia can be a medical emergency.
for hospitalization:
BMI < 13 is an indicatior for certification under the Mental Health Act if the patient refuses admission although BMI < 13 alone is not enough for admission.
BMI <18.5: underweight. BMI 18.5–24.9: normal weight. BMI ≥25.0: overweight. BMI ≥30.0: obesity.
That being said, a BMI below 17.5 in adults is one of the common physical characteristics used to diagnose anorexia. There are also different tiers of anorexia based on BMI ranging from mild (<17.5), moderate (16-16.99), and severe (15-15.99), to extreme (<15).
Hospitalization may be required for medical complications, severe psychiatric problems, severe malnutrition or continued refusal to eat. Some clinics specialize in treating people with eating disorders. They may offer day programs or residential programs rather than full hospitalization.
As a result of discontinuing eating, patients can die in as early as a few days. For most people, this period without food usually lasts about 10 days, but in rare instances, it can last several weeks.
When someone with an eating disorder is severely underweight, seriously unwell or refusing treatment they are sometimes advised to stay in hospital. Most will be treated as an outpatient but some will be admitted and treated as an 'inpatient'.
From a clinical perspective, an individual is considered “too skinny” if they are deemed underweight. According to the Centers for Disease Control, an individual is underweight if their Body Mass Index (BMI) is below 18.5 [1].
The American Dietetic Association (ADA) defines the ideal body mass index (BMI) as between 20 and 25. Thus, anyone below that range would be considered underweight and those with a BMI from 18.5 to 17.5 extremely underweight.
They often have a distorted image of their bodies, thinking they're fat even when they're underweight. Men and women of any age can get anorexia, but it's most common in young women and typically starts in the mid-teens.
Severe Anorexia Nervosa is defined in weight terms as an individual with a body mass index (BMI) of <15 (BMI – weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared).
After 3 years, anorexia becomes more difficult to treat, and symptoms may become more serious. That's why early treatment is an important first step. Chronic anorexia is not part of an initial diagnosis. Over time, physicians may change their care approach if they believe anorexia is treatment-resistant.
Extreme anorexia is the most serious form of anorexia. It occurs when a person is severely underweight and malnourished from intentionally starving themselves to lower their weight.
Anorexia Can Increase the Risk of Suicide or Death
Regardless of age, every 1 in 5 anorexia deaths is a result of suicide. Without treatment, up to 20 percent of all eating disorder cases result in death.
If you have lost your appetite for more than a few days and are unable to eat or drink, it may be a sign of something serious, and you should call your doctor. Additionally, if you experience extreme fatigue, unintentional weight loss, or fever along with loss of appetite, you should see a doctor.
According to the DSM-5, BMI criteria for anorexia nervosa (AN) or “anorexia BMI” requires that someone have a BMI of less than 18.5.
Defining severity in anorexia nervosa (AN) is a significant challenge, therefore in 2013, the DSM-5 [1]—in line with the new specifiers for mental disorders—introduced body mass index (BMI) specifiers, including mild (i.e., BMI ≥ 17), moderate (i.e., BMI between 16 and 16.9), severe (i.e., BMI between 15 and 15.9), and ...
Traditionally, individuals had to be below 85% of their ideal body weight to receive a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, a disorder characterized by restrictive eating, over-exercising, distorted body image and intense fear of weight gain.