How to reduce Underweight problem
WHEN THINNESS IS A PROBLEM
Thinness is a problem if it is a result of poor nutrition, such as chronic dieting, which can lead to infertility in women. For those who conceive, being underweight during pregnancy may cause anemia, heart and lung complications, and a high risk of toxemia. Their babies are often premature, have a low birth weight, and may experience slow growth and development. Adolescents with erratic schedules are prone to slip below their ideal weight—especially if they exercise a lot. Overly thin teenagers and adults alike sometimes feel too busy to eat.
CORRECTIVE DIET
Gaining 1 lb (0.45 kg) a week can require 500 to 750 extra calories a day. For some, dietary adjustments can be as taxing as a weight-loss regimen. The aim should be to build up muscle tissue and increase the level of energy to sustain the weight gain. Unless extremely weak, underweight people should exercise regularly to help build lean tissue as well as store some fat. Extremely important to increase dietary calories from fat. A plan for increasing weight focuses, first, on increasing food intake. second, on consuming foods that provide lots of calories in a compact volume. Raw vegetables, for example, are nutritious but satisfy hunger long before they’ve provided significant calories. And although a low-fat diet is important, an underweight person may need to relax the rules about fat consumption until the desired weight goal has been reached, Increasing dietary fat can rapidly make a difference, because fat contains more than twice as many calories (9 per gram) as protein and carbohydrates do (4 per gram).
Increase your portions of calorie-dense foods. Nutrition experts advise adhering to your food guide recommendations, but gradually increasing portions and choosing the more nutrient and calorie-dense foods within each group: peanut butter or cheese instead of lean meat, avocados instead of cucumbers, pancakes instead of toast, a milk shake instead of skim milk. Because caffeine suppresses the urge to eat, replace tea or coffee with juices and milk. Augment, your diet with liquid supplements. People who have lost weight due to illness may benefit from a concentrated liquid formula, which is easy to swallow. Doctors and dietitians can recommend liquid supplements. Many underweight people feel uncomfortably full when they begin eating larger, more frequent portions to gain weight. This feeling eventually passes. People trying to gain weight, like those trying to lose it, occasionally reach a plateau. Increasing calorie intake is necessary to restart the process.
