Is it dangerous for a woman to maintain a body fat % of 12%?

even if she is at a healthy weight for her height? will it affect her menses or make her periods stop at this percentage of body fat? i'd like to slim down just a bit (and STILL be within my healthy weight range), and tone up to get my BF% below 15%, but i'm afraid it would affect my menstrual cycle or anything else...i was told that most supermodels, swimsuit models, female athletes and ballerinas have stopped getting their periods because of their really low body fat. please advice? i'm not an athlete btw...the most extreme form of sports i've ever done is running lol...i'm also 22, and my periods have always been regular..my BF% is currently at 23%...i wana start hitting the gym and get it down by 10% within the next 8-10 months or so...so i just wanted to know...

Public Comments

1. Loss of Menstrual Periods (Amenorrhea) When too little energy is available after exercise, a female athlete’s body reduces energy expenditure in other processes, in part by suppressing menstrual function. Therefore, because energy expenditure during exercise reduces energy availability, female athletes are at increased risk for menstrual disorders. Female athletes who also restrict their dietary energy intake or who practice disordered eating behaviors are at even higher risk. It is important to understand, however, that exercise has no suppressive effect on menstrual function beyond the impact of its energy cost on energy availability, and that the disruptive influence of exercise on menstrual function can be prevented by increasing dietary energy intake in compensation for exercise energy expenditure. Because female athletes are distributed along a spectrum of energy availability, most display a range of infertility problems from imperceptible luteal phase defects to amenorrhea. In very young athletes, low energy availability may also delay the onset of menstruation. Is it normal for female athletes to stop having their menstrual period because they train so hard? No. It may be the "norm" in some sports, but it is never healthy, desirable or acceptable. When menses stop, the body is communicating that something is wrong. Energy consumption is not meeting the needs of the individual. Furthermore, if an athlete is over the age of 16 and has not yet started menstruating, she should contact a healthcare professional. Lack of menstruation can inhibit normal pubertal growth and development.
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