What are two ways someone can be anemic?

1) Not getting enough iron. Iron is an essential mineral that the body needs to produce hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Without enough iron, the body cannot produce enough red blood cells or hemoglobin, leading to anemia.

2) Losing too much blood. This could be due to a number of reasons, such as heavy menstrual bleeding, childbirth, or a gastrointestinal ulcer that is causing bleeding. When the body loses too much blood, it cannot replace the red blood cells quickly enough, leading to anemia.