The emphasis in the 21 Century world is weight loss. Everybody is talking about how to lose weight because it is assumed that being slim makes you look attractive.
But gaining weight is very important for those who are underweight. A person who is underweight needs to gain some weight in order to enjoy a healthy life.
Who is Underweight
The Body Mass Index(BMI) is used to calculate body weight using the height and weight of a person.
A person with a BMI of less than 18.5 is underweight while the healthy range is 18.5 – 24.9. A person between 25.0 – 29.0 is overweight while 30.0 and above is Obese.
Health risks of being underweight
Being underweight can cause health problems just as being overweight can cause health problems. The health risks of being underweight are
- Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones becomes weak and can easily break. Osteoporosis can make a person to break bones from a light fall.
- Preterm birth: Being underweight can increase the risk of preterm births in pregnant women.
- Feeling tired easily: A person who is underweight because of insufficient calories in the body can easily feel tired.
- Poor growth and development: Children and teens who are underweight will experience poor growth and development since they are lacking in the vital nutrients that is needed for healthy growth and development of the body.
- Weakened immune system: Being underweight can cause the immune system to be weak and the person can easily fall sick. This is because as he is lacking in calories which can mkars him underweight so he will be lacking in nutrients that can help him to fight diseases.
- Irregular menstrual cycle: An underweight woman can experience irregular menstrual cycle which can also cause infertility. It can also lead to delayed menstruation for an underage girl who is yet to experience her first menstrual cycle.
- Anemia. A person who is underweight is more likely to develop anemia which is a low blood count with symptoms such as dizziness, headaches and fatigue.
- Skin, hair, or teeth problems. If a person does not get enough nutrients in their daily diet, they may begin to experience symptoms, such as thinning of skin, loss of hair, dry skin, poor dentition.
How to gain weight
- Eat 3 – 5 times a day: Eating more frequently will help you gain weight. The more you eat the more you can gain weight.
- Increase protein- intake: Protein is a body building nutrient and so is important for gaining weight. Foods rich in protein includes meat, milk, fish,eggs, whole milk, legumes.
- Eat more carbohydrates- rich foods: Carbohydrates foods are very necessary for weight gain and so should be consumed more. Foods rich in Carbohydrates includes rice, sweet potatoes,tubers, whole grain bread, whole grain cereals, dried fruits, legumes, corn.
- Do not drink water before meals or during meals: Drinking water before meals or during meals can fill you up so that that you won’t be able to eat the amount of food you should eat to gain weight.
- Quality sleep: A good quality sleep is very important for muscle growth
When you have enough sleep your body systems will function normal
and you will begin to gain weight
- Weight lifting: Weight lifting will help you gain muscle mass rather just fat. This is healthy way to gain weight
- Eat carbohydrates and protein rich food first: Eat the carbohydrates and protein rich foods first before the vegetables because if you eat the vegetables first they can fill you up and so make you reduce the quantity of carbohydrates and protein rich foods you would have eaten to gain weight.
- Weight gain supplements: Take weight gain supplements such as creatine, protein supplements, fish a dayoil supplements, krill oil supplements, weight gainers.
- Eat large portions of food: To gain weight large portions of carbohydrates and protein rich foods should be eaten at least 3 times a day.
- Do not smoke: Smoking can lead to weight loss so to gain weight it should be avoided.
It is very necessary to gain weight if you are Underweight but it should be done the healthy way.
