Ask an Expert: I`m Overweight and Weak.

Healthy Weight Center

I`m Overweight and Weak.
04/05/2010

Question:

I`m a 20 year old man from India. My diet is pure vegetarian. My problem is that I`m overweight but extremely week. I get tired pretty soon. But my main problem is that I dont have enough strength and energy to do work. For example: Even if I give my best, I can only swim at a speed half of that of my other friend. If i throw or kick a ball with all my strength, it covers just a little distance and the speed of the ball would be very slow. Even children half my age can throw a ball at a much faster speed and can throw it at a much greater distance than i can. My girlfriend who is half my size can easily lift me for minutes but i can barely lift her for few seconds with great difficulty. All the boys as well as the girls in my class or even my younger brother and sister are stronger than me. They can easily beat me in arm wrestling. Is there some thing wrong with me? This all thing is depressing and lowers my confidence. Please please help me out
Regards

Answer:

Your tiredness could be because you are anemic due to either a B12 or iron deficiency. Vegetarians (especially vegans) are a little more prone to these two deficiencies. Go to your health care provider and have yourself tested. Your health care provider may have some other thoughts on why you are so weak and tire so easily. Once the source of weakness is remedied, then the overweight can be tackled. Check back then and give me more information on your specific weight, height, activity level, and eating pattern (time of day you eat and some common foods).

For more information:

Go to the Healthy Weight Center health topic, where you can:

Read articles on this topic
Browse the previously asked questions

Response by:

Sharron Coplin, MS, RD, LD
Former Lecturer
Food & Nutrition
College of Education and Human Ecology
The Ohio State University