Understanding the Reasons for Being Underweight and How to Address Them Through Diet

Do you weigh below the healthy weight range as per your age and feel tired often? Is frequent illness along with thin hair, bad teeth health, and dry skin bothering you? If you replied with an affirmation, you might be underweighted. Just like being obese or overweight affects your health, being underweight also impacts your health adversely. So, you might be wondering what makes you weigh less than the healthy weight range and what diet for weight gain would help you, aren’t you? Reading this blog below will acquaint you with various factors responsible for being underweight and effective dietary measures that will help improve your weight.

What Does Being Underweight Mean?

If one weighs less than what it needs for the body to function smoothly, the person is said to be underweight. Although there is no specific scale for indicating the healthy weight of a person, BMI (Body Mass Index) and waist circumference help determine the healthy weight range. BMI is an effective technique for calculating one’s body fat based on weight and height. Here are general interpretations of BMI readings.

• When your BMI is less than 18.5, you are believed to be underweight.
• If your BMI falls between 18.5 and 24.9, you happen to lie in the normal weight range.
• If your BMI is between 25.0 and 29.9, you are considered overweight.
• If your BMI is 30.0 or greater, you are obese.

Symptoms of Underweight:

Underweight individuals may fail to receive all essential nutrients from their diet. So, it affects their health adversely. Some of the common symptoms of being underweight include feeling tired, falling sick often, developing dry skin, hair thinning, increased hair fall, and poor health of teeth.

Risks of being Underweight:

Being underweight puts you at risk of developing health issues, such as osteoporosis, anaemia, infections that you find difficult to combat, irregular periods in females, pregnancy issues, and heart problems. In elderly individuals, being underweight can be risky as it makes them vulnerable to falling sick and suffering from breaking bones.

6 Causes of Being Underweight:

There prevail several factors responsible for an individual being underweight. A person can weigh below the healthy weight range due to multiple causes. Check out the common reasons for one being underweight.

1. Family History: Some individuals are underweight due to physical characteristics that run in their particular family. These physical characteristics make them have a naturally low BMI which is responsible for them to be underweight.
2. Frequent Heavy Physical Activities: People, such as athletes, who are involved in performing high-energy-demanding physical activities often can be underweight. This is because they burn a large number of calories that make them weigh low. For instance, runners burn plenty of calories often which may prevent them from putting on weight.
3. A High Metabolism: An individual having a markedly high metabolism may fail to gain enough weight despite consuming high-energy foods.
4. Chronic Medical Condition or Physical Illness: Some disease conditions can make one to suffer from vomiting, nausea, and diarrhoea regularly. These people find it hard to gain weight. Some health conditions can reduce one’s appetite which prevents them from eating a normal quantity of food. For instance, people with cancer, thyroid disorders, diabetes, and digestive ailments, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease may weigh as underweight. A customised weight gain diet chart may help them have good nutritious intake.
5. Mental Illness: Poor psychological health can affect one’s ability to eat a normal quantity of food. For instance, people with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may weigh below the healthy weight range. It may affect their appetite and body image.
6. Poor Dietary Habits: If you are not eating healthy, balanced meals regularly, it may affect your health. Skipping breakfast and meals and replacing junk and processed foods instead of meals just to feel full may affect your health and weight adversely. Although you may eat a lot of ready-to-eat or processed foods, it is deprived of nutrients. Nutritional deficiencies can affect your health, make you prone to health conditions, and eventually impact your health and weight adversely. Opting for a healthy diet plan for weight gain can help you have timely nutritious meals daily.

11 Dietary and Lifestyle Measures to Gain Weight Smoothly:

Various healthy dietary and lifestyle practices can help you gain weight easily. Combining high-calorie consumption with a moderate workout routine with some heavy resistance exercises can help you put on weight. Consulting a doctor and certified dieticians can help you overcome being underweight with a customised diet plan for weight gain. Here are some effective dietary and lifestyle measures that can help you gain weight naturally.

1. Eat Small Meals More Frequently: Instead of eating three heavy meals a day, relish five to six smaller, nutritious meals timed throughout the day. Add a snack or meal in between before bedtime.
2. Eat Healthily: Savour at least five portions of fresh vegetables and fruits daily. Include whole grain bread, cereals, and pasta along with beans, fruits, vegetables, eggs, nuts, avocadoes, dried fruits, seeds, fish, lentils, and dairy products in your weight gain diet chart.
3. Use Bigger Plates: Use larger plates to eat your meals and snacks. It helps you consume more calories. Eating food using smaller plates makes you relish less.
4. Don’t Drink Water Just Before Meals: Drinking water just before your meals can fill your stomach, suppress your appetite, and make it difficult for you to eat enough food. So, have water or any other fluid 30 minutes before or after a meal.
5. Drink Whole Milk: If you love milk, prefer to drink whole milk to quench your thirst, as it is an easy way to consume more quality protein and calories.
6. Prioritize Protein and Fat Food Sources: If you have a variety of foods on your plate, prefer eating protein-abundant and calorie-dense foods first. Go for high-fibre foods last.
7. Garnish Your Coffee with Cream: This helps you consume more calories while enjoying coffee.
8. Quit Smoking: If you smoke, work to quit it. Often, smokers weigh less than people who don’t smoke. Also, smoking is harmful to your health and weight management. To improve your health and well-being, quit this harmful habit.
9. Try having Weight Gainer Shakes: If you are finding it challenging to gain weight, try weight gainer shakes. The high content of calories and proteins in them helps improve your weight.
10. Practice Moderate Exercise Regularly: Incorporating exercise along with diet for weight gain can help stimulate your appetite and increase muscle mass. So, do moderate exercises for at least half an hour daily.
11. Sleep Well: Sleep is essential to improve your muscle growth and health. So, make sure that you receive quality sleep continuously for seven to eight hours daily.

Now that you know how diet and lifestyle modifications can help you gain weight, adopt these healthy practices to improve your weight and health. The guidance of certified dieticians and nutritionists, such as health experts at Health Total, can help you receive a customised weight gain diet chart comprising all healthy foods. Our diet plan for weight gain not only helps you put on weight but also boosts your immunity and lowers or prevents potential health risks. So, think no further, get in touch with us at Health Total and improve your weight and health effortlessly with our personalized diet for weight gain.

Sign up for a FREE consultation with Health Total experts to get more tips for improving your weight with diet or managing any other health condition. Call toll-free at 1-800-833-171709 and Book Free Consultation!