Excessive dieting bad for health
The China Post relates the experiences a Taiwanese doctor has had with women loosing so much weight that they've stopped menstrating:
One 20-year-old has consulted Dr. Li for her menopause, or permanent cessation of menstruation."It's no menopause," Dr. Li says. "She has slimmed down so much that her endocrinal functions of the pituitary gland went down to the level of a 10-year-old."
One pituitary gland, a cherry-shaped double structure attached by a stalk to the base of the brain, controls and secretes growth hormone.
Her FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) was less than 5mlu/ml, half the ordinary level for a girl of her age. A follicle is an ovarian sac containing an immature ovum or egg.
"No wonder there was no menstruation," the gynecologist sighs.
She stands 170 centimeters (5 feet, 7 inches) tall but weighs only 40 kilograms (88 pounds). "She may be treated," Dr. Li adds, "but I am afraid she won't be able to have a baby."
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