We always talk about being overweight, obesity, weight loss tips and also about health issues due to heavy weight. But do you know being underweight also leads to several health problems. Being under weight also makes people uncomfortable and shy. Several problems like hyperthyroid disorders, cancer, diabetes and others can lead to underweight problems.
Are you underweight – then check this
How do you know you are underweight? For this your BMI (Body Mass Index) helps you to determine whether you are under weight or overweight or maintaining healthy weight.
People whose BMI is less than or under 18.5, then they are said to be underweight. Underweight problems can also be caused due to several factors like
- Hyperthyroidism
- Diabetes
- Low appetite or loss of appetite
- Genetics
- HIV/AIDS
- Tuberculosis or TB
- Stress
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Excess exercises
- Few prescriptions
- Cancers
- Enzyme deficiency
People with underweight also face many problems like they feel weakness/ tiredness, low immunity system or immune system disorders, fragile bones, nutritional deficiency, lack of vitamins especially vitamin D deficiency, hair loss, dry skin, infertility, menstrual problems, anemia, growth and development problems and several others.
As people with underweight have low immunity, it increases their risk of several illnesses like cold, flu, infections, allergies and several other problems. Due to nutritional deficiency, people may not have enough calcium in their body and it makes your bones and teeth weak. People who are underweight are also at an increased risk of developing osteoporosis due fragile and weak bones.
Underweight are more likely to develop complications after any invasive procedure than normal people. Low weight people tend to develop infections after invasive procedures like knee replacement or hip replacement and others. This is because of low immunity, low healing ability and also due to lack of hemoglobin.
In female underweight can lead to abnormal periods, irregular menstruation, absence of periods and others. These menstrual irregularities can lead to ovulation problems which in turn causes infertility. If conceived women are underweight, it increases the risk for foetus and affects its growth and development. Underweight problem in children can adversely affect their growth and development, especially nutrients are very crucial for brain development.
Weight Gain Tips through Eating habits
You can gain healthy weight by following few diet and lifestyle tips. Your eating habits play a crucial role in increasing your weight and also to reduce the complications of underweight. Here are few eating and other tips to gain more weight
- Eat small quantity meals frequently. Do eat full or increase intake of calories suddenly as it adversely affects digestive system. Give your body some time to adjust to excess food intake.
- Include fresh fruits and vegetables in diet
- Eat nutrient rich foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and lean proteins
- Avoid skim milk and take whole milk and also other dairy products.
- Include meat, fish, eggs, pulses and beans in your list.
- Increase your intake of carbohydrates, as they help to increase weight.
- Eat plenty of fibre, as it helps to improve your digestion. You can get this from oats, beans, fruits and vegetables.
- Enjoy eating your favourite snacks whenever you want throughout the day. Eating snacks before your bed time is also helpful in gaining weight. This is because, the calories you take before bed time are stored in your body which increases you weight.
- Avoid caffeine drinks, as they suppress your appetite. Appetite is very important to gain weight and hence you may not want to reduce it by taking caffeine drinks like coffee, tea, soda’s and other energy drinks.
- Do not drink water or other fluids before meals, as it makes you feel full. When you feel full you eat less which may not help in weight gain. Drink water half an hour before and after eating your meals.
- Drink plenty of water and do not dehydrate yourself, as it may affect your digestive system and health.
- Consult your dietitian and get help regarding the amount of calories and nutrients intake.
- You can increase your intake of calories by adding nuts, cheese, seeds and others in your meals as topping.
To gain weight quickly do not just have chocolates, cakes and other junk foods rich in calories and saturated fats, as it adversely affects your body by increasing body fat.
How to Gain weight without Effecting side problems
Apart from changing your eating habits you can also increase your body weight by doing some exercises and other activities. Here are few health tips for gaining weight like
- Limit your aerobic exercises, as they burn more calories and leads to weight loss which you don’t want to. Even though cardio exercises are beneficial for health but they reduce your weight.
- Opt for lifting weight, as they helps to strengthen your body improve muscle and also in gaining weight.
- Exercises help to improve your appetite by burning more energy. Increase your intake of eggs, meat and cheese which are high in protein. Protein rich foods help to build muscles.
- Do not go for intense exercises, as they burn calories and leads to weight loss.
- Control stress and anxiety. Increased stress and anxiety adversely affects you appetite and leads to weight loss.
- Have enough sleep and eat healthy, as sleep and healthy diet helps to improve your immunity and keeps several illnesses like cold, flu and others at bay.
By following above tips to gain weight you can achieve desired results. By maintaining healthy weight, you can improve immunity and eliminate several health illnesses. To improve overall wellbeing it is very crucial to maintain healthy weight. Healthy weight also improves your confidence, productivity and makes you look great. You can control the risk of nutritional and vitamin deficiency through healthy diet and this also helps to improve your skin and hair.
