Every person is suffering from various health-related problems, whether it may be obese or underweight. We have heard of many solutions/remedies/medical tips to control body weight, but the issue of being underweight is relatively uncommon and not known by everyone. That is why we will discuss everything about the problems of being skinny and maintaining proper body weight to prevent the body from various types of health issues. It is observed by the National Center for Health Statistics that around one-third of people in the United States are overweight and suffering from obesity as well. However, the people with the opposite proportion are not low as others have a problem being skinny.
This is a matter of significant concern as people with the underweight problem are also as harmful as obesity. In addition to this, most people who are not malnourished still want to put on weight and broaden their muscles. Whether or not you are clinically underweight or struggling to put on some weight to improve your appearance, you may learn the ropes first as the principles are pretty similar. Hence, the articles underline some simple strategies to overcome this problem of being underweight with the help of a few healthy way-outs.
What is the real meaning of being underweight?
In medical terms, when the body’s body mass index is below 18.5, this condition is known as underweight. So, the body mass is less as compared to what is needed to maintain the body. However, the BMI over 25 is regarded as overweight, and those over 30 are considered obese. You can check out the BMI of your body with the help of this calculator. You should keep in mind various problems with the BMI scale according to the height and weight of a person. But it does not consider muscle mass.
Few people are naturally skinny, but they are still healthy. If the BMI scale shows that you are underweight, it does not mean that you are unhealthy or have some health problems. Among women and girls, the most common things are that they are underweight two to three times more than men. In the United States, one percent of men and 2.4 percent of women under 20 years of age are malnourished. Hence, it is crystal clear that if the BMI is less than 18.5, the condition is underweight. It is pretty standard in women and girls rather than men and boys.
How being underweight affects your health?
One of the biggest problems of this world is obesity; however, you cannot ignore the issue of being underweight as it is too bad. One study noticed that men with a skeletal problem risk 140 percent greater risk, whereas women with low weight have a chance of about 100 percent of early death.
If we compare, the chances of early death in obesity are fifty percent greater, but the underweight issue is even worse for your body. Moreover, if talking about the gender effects of being skinny, it is noticeable that men with this problem have more chances of early death than women. So, the condition of men can get worse as compared to women. Being underweight harms various harmful impacts on the body and acts as a body destructor in some cases. Some of them are mentioned below:
- Ruin the functioning of the immunity system.
- Risk of infection increases.
- More chances of osteoporosis.
- Chances of fracture are more.
- Cause problems infertility.
What’s more?
People with the issue of being underweight have more chances of getting Sarcopenia, an age-related problem that leads to wastage of muscles. The risk of dementia also increases. Overall, the facts and figures agree that both the health conditions, whether obesity and underweight, are dangerous for the body. People underweight are more at risk of getting osteoporosis, infections, fertility problems, and early death.
Things that may lead to becoming underweight
Different type of medical conditions has some diverse impacts on the body, and it may result in an unhealthy way of losing weight. Some of the highlighted medical conditions are given below. Let us have a quick look at these.
- Eating disorders: When eating habits are not accurate or maybe not on time. It comprises anorexia nervosa and a severe disorder mentally.
- Thyroid problems: Medically known as hyperthyroidism, it is an issue related to overactive thyroid that can build up metabolism and cause unexpected weight loss.
- Celiac disease: It is a kind of gluten intolerance. Most of the people with this disease do not even know that they have it.
- Diabetes: Type 1 uncontrolled diabetes can also result in unnecessary weight loss.
- Cancer: Many calories burnt by cancerous tumors can cause a large amount of weight loss.
- Infections: Some infections can cause a person to lose several calories, including parasites, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.
If you have any such medical issues or seem so, keep a check with your doctor and better understand your right medical conditions. It is essential to visit a doctor if you start losing significant calories unnecessarily. An unhealthy weight can be caused easily by medical conditions which are very bad for a healthy body. If you face any such medical condition, it is highly recommended to check with the doctor.
How to put on weight healthily?
If you want to put on some weight, it is vital to do it in a very positive and healthy way. Soda and doughnuts can help you gain some calories but are too unhealthy at the same time. If you are underweight, you should gain more muscle fat than belly one, but it must be balanced. Even people with average weight who have Type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, and other health-related issues often come in contact with obesity. That is why it is significant to follow a healthy lifestyle and eat healthy food all the time. Next, we will look at some of the ways a person can get some calories to prevent this health issue of being underweight.
Eat a large proportion of calories than your body burns.
The important thing you can do for your body to gain more weight is add more calories to your diet than required. Calorie needs can also be determined by using the calorie calculator. If your process of gaining weight is relatively slow, you have to eat between 300 to 500 calories more than what you burn each day. However, if you want to gain weight quickly, you need to eat 700-1000 calories more from the maintenance level. The calories calculator only provides some estimates, and the body needs vary as per the hundred calories you give or take every day.
Protein can also be a good source.
Protein is another way to gain healthy weight for your skinny body. It is perfect for muscle fat, and other extra calories may result in body fat. It is observed by a study that a person overfeeds their body with a high-protein diet, then it provides extra calories, which can also be converted into muscle fat. Protein is a double-edged sword as it can quickly reduce hunger and is also essential for appetite, leading to getting sufficient calories. If you want to put on weight in the body, consuming 0.7 to 1 grams of protein per pound is highly recommended. You can also increase if the calorie intake is high. The list of proteins includes meats, fish, eggs, dairy products, legumes, nuts, and others. Moreover, you can also take whey protein as a protein supplement if you struggle to get sufficient protein in your diet.
Umpteen of Crabs and Fat three times a day
When people are trying to lose weight, they try to avoid Carb and fats, which is not a good idea if you’re planning to put on weight. If weight gain is your priority, then eat a massive amount of protein, fat, and carbs at a single meal. Blinking fasting is also a wrong choice as it is helpful for weight loss and making improvements in health. However, it makes it tough to eat more calories each day to gain more weight. You have to eat at least three meals each day and stay away from energy-dense snacks whenever possible.
Use sauces, Spices, and Condiments
Alright, it is very healthy to eat whole and single-ingredient foods. Processes and junk food are not easy to get calories as these foods tempt to be a big problem. You can get help to increase calories with the use of spices, sauces as well as condiments. The thing is that if the food is tastier, and then you can eat as more as possible. Possibly, try to focus more on energy-dense foods and contain many calories. Moreover, these foods contain more amount of calories as compared to their weight. Here are some of the energy-dense foods that are good for putting on more weight, as mentioned below:
- Nuts: it includes almonds, walnuts, macadamia, peanuts, and so on.
- Dried fruits: It has raisins, dates, prunes, and others.
- High-fat dairy: Whole milk, full-fat yogurt, cheese, and cream.
- Fats and oils: it includes extra virgin olive oil as well as avocado oil.
- Grains: Whole grains such as oats and brown rice.
- Meat: Chicken, beef, pork, lamb, and so on. Pick up fattier cuts.
- Tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams.
- Others: eat chocolates, avocados, peanut butter, coconut milk, granola, and trail mixes.
These foods are very filling, and you can eat more and more such foods even if you are feeling full. You can avoid eating a lot of vegetables if your motive is to gain weight healthily. Eating fruits is very good for body health but focusing on fruits that require less chewing, like bananas.
Lift Weights and improve strength
It will ensure that excess protein gets into the muscles instead of the body cells, and it is crucial to lift more weights. The best way is to go to the gym at least two to four times per week. If you are a newbie to physical training and out of body shape, hire a qualified personal trainer to assist you.
Bottom Line
It can be tough to gain weight healthily as it takes a lot of time. When you go through the loss of weight or gain weight, your body takes some time to resist changes in hunger level and rate of metabolism. While gaining more calories and putting on weight, you can expect the body to minimize the appetite and build metabolism. You ought to expect a high level of difficulty and can also suffer from forced for eating.
