I just thought it was interesting how this word was directly related to emaciated, but it seems that the two words diverged in their applications (things vs. people).meager
c.1300, "lean, thin, emaciated" (of persons or animals), from O.Fr. megre, maigre, from L. macrum (nom. macer) "lean, thin," from PIE *makro- (see macro-). Of material things (land, food, etc.) from 1501.
-Tim