About two third people in the India are either overweight or obese. However, there are many people with the opposite problem of being too skinny. Being underweight can be bad for your health just as being obese or overweight. Many people who are not underweight still want to gain some weight and muscle to improve their personality. Being clinically underweight or simply struggling to gain muscle weight have same principles.
What Does Underweight mean?
When you have a body mass index (BMI) below 18.5, you are counted in the underweight category, and if it's 25 or above it is considered overweight and over 30 is considered in the obese category.
NOTE:- There are many problems with the BMI scale, which only looks at the weight and height of the person. It does not take muscle mass into account. Some people are naturally skinny but still healthy. Being underweight according to this scale does not mean that you have a health problem. Girls or women are 2–3 times underweight as compared to men.
Consequences of Being Underweight
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Being underweight may be just as bad for your health, So the consequences are:-
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Underweight is associated with a 140% risk of early death in men and 100% in women. If we compare, obesity was associated with a 50% greater risk of early death. So it indicates that being underweight maybe even worse for your health.
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Being underweight can also impair your immune function and you will be vulnerable to diseases and infections.
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It may be at greater risk of dementia.
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Much more likely to get sarcopenia (age-related muscle wasting).
Reasons for Being Underweight
There are some medical conditions that can lead to weight loss which include:-
Eating disorders: It includes anorexia nervosa which is a serious mental disorder.
Thyroid problems: If you have hyperthyroidism it will boost your metabolism, which may cause unhealthy weight loss.
Celiac disease: Most people who have celiac disease they don't know that they have gluten intolerance which can cause weight loss.
Diabetes: Mainly type 1 diabetes can lead to severe weight loss.
Cancer: Cancerous tumors often burn large amounts of calories, which cause someone to lose a lot of weight
Infections: Infections like parasites, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS can cause someone to become severely underweight
So, these are some causes, if youare loosing your weight rapidly consult a doctor.
How to Gain Weight?
If you want to gain weight, it’s very important to do it in right manner otherwise, it will affect our body. It’s important to eat healthy foods, when you’re trying to gain weight.
The basic principle to gain weight is to eat more calories than you burn
The most important thing you can do to gain weight is to eat surplus calorie, it means that eat food that are abundant in calories or you can say eat more calories than your body needs. You should Aim for 300–500 calories per day above your maintenance level for slow weight gain and 700–1,000 calories if you want to gain weight in some days.
Eat a sufficient amount of Protein
The most important nutrient for gaining weight is protein. As we all know muscles are made of protein and without it, the extra calories will end up as body fat. If you are trying to gain weight take around 1.5–2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight.
Food that includes high protein are meats, fish, eggs, many dairy products, legumes, nuts, etc. and you too take protein supplements like whey protein
Fill up on Plenty of Carbs and Fat and Eat at Least 5 Times per Day
Eat plenty of high-carb and high-fat foods if weight gain weight. It is best to eat a meal that has plenty amount of protein, fat, and carbs. Make sure you must eat five meals per day i.e Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two times snacks a day.
Lift Heavy Weights
To make sure that the excess calories go to your muscles instead of just in your fat cells, as eating more calories is important it’s important to lift weights too. You shoulda gym and lift 2–4 times per week and Lift heavy and try to increase the weights when you train your muscles and lift in the correct form.
Some basic tips:-
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Don't drink water before you are going to eat meals. This will fill your stomach.
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Eat as much as you can and eat more often.
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Drink at least two glasses of milk one in the morning and the other at night.
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Try weight gainer or whey protein shakes.
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Use bigger plates for the meal
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Add cream to your coffee or your food
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You might have heard muscles are torn in the gym, Fed in the kitchen, and built-in bed. So, have quality sleep.
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The study found that smokers tend to weigh less than non-smokers and quitting smoking often leads to weight gain.
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Gaining Weight is Difficult but not impossible and being Consistent Is the Key to Long-Term Success.
